Corned Beef

What to make for St. Patty’s Day…..hmmmmm……how about the national dish of Ireland? Corned Beef and Cabbage.

Only……you might want to sit down for this…..it isn’t. In fact, it is more of an American dish that tries to be Irish than it is really Irish. According to the Irish Culture and Customs site (and also my friend Mike whose parents are from Ireland), corned beef is much more popular as an Irish dish here in America than it is back home. The reason? Cows.

For generations, cows in Ireland were primarily used for milk and not as beef. Sure, some rich folks could do both, but for the pub crowd, pork was the primary meat, not beef. When the great Irish immigration occurred to the United States in the early 1900s, the immigrants found beef much more plentiful and cheaper and that is when corned beef really became an Irish dish. Who knew?

Homemade Irish Corned Beef and Vegetables

Regardless of where it came from, it is one heavenly dish.

A boatload of veggies and beef that has already been in the “corning” spices before I bought it.

The beer is in the pot.

Tangy, tender and meaty!

Homemade Irish Corned Beef and Vegetables

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

Brine:
6 cups water
2 cups lager beer
11/2 cups coarse kosher salt
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Insta Cure no. 1* (optional)
1/4 cup pickling spices
1 6- to 8-pound flat-cut beef brisket, trimmed, with some fat remaining

Corned beef and vegetables:
1 12-ounce bottle Guinness stout or other stout or porter
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 whole allspice
1 dried chile de árbol,** broken in half Cheesecloth
12 baby turnips, trimmed, or 3 medium turnips or rutabagas, peeled, quartered
8 unpeeled medium white-skinned or red-skinned potatoes (about 3 pounds)
6 medium carrots, peeled
4 medium onions, peeled, halved through root ends
2 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 2-pound head of cabbage, quartered
Horseradish Cream
Guinness Mustard

Directions:

For brine: Pour 6 cups water and beer into large deep roasting pan. Add coarse salt; stir until dissolved. Add sugar; stir until dissolved. If desired, stir in Insta Cure No. 1. Mix in pickling spices. Pierce brisket all over with tip of small sharp knife. Submerge brisket in liquid, then top with heavy platter to weigh down. Cover and refrigerate 4 days.

Remove brisket from brine. Stir liquid to blend. Return brisket to brine; top with heavy platter. Cover; refrigerate 4 days. Remove brisket from brine. Rinse with cold running water. do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Wrap corned beef in plastic, cover with foil, and refrigerate.

For corned beef and vegetables: Place corned beef in very large wide pot. Add stout and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Wrap cheesecloth around bay leaves, coriander seeds, allspice, and chile, enclosing completely, and tie with kitchen string to secure. Add spice bag to pot with beef; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until beef is tender, about 2 1/4 hours. Transfer beef to large baking sheet.

Add turnips and all remaining vegetables to liquid in pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently until all vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to baking sheet with beef. Return beef to pot and rewarm 5 minutes. Discard spice bag.

Cut beef against grain into 1/4-inch thick slices. Arrange beef and vegetables on platter. Serve with Horseradish Cream and Guinness Mustard.

*Insta Cure No. 1 is a mixture of sodium nitrate and salt that is used in cured and smoked sausages to prevent botulism. In this brine, its only purpose is to prevent the meat from turning gray, so you can certainly leave it out. You’ll find Insta Cure No. 1 at sausagemaker.com.

**A thin, red, very hot three-inch-long chile; sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.

Source: http://m.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Homemade-Irish-Corned-Beef-and-Vegetables-241623