When I was a teenager, the yearly and very popular St. Patrick's Day Parade would be held on the boulevard where my family owned a bar/restaurant. I was recruited (forced) to help out in the kitchen, making 'complimentary' corned beef sandwiches for all the customers attending the parade and buying green beer. With our hair held back in ponytails and bandanas on our heads, my mom and I would be in the kitchen toiling over the boiling caldrons of corned beef for hours on end. When the day was over, I could not look at (or smell) another corned beef sandwich.
We would often laugh about the shenanigans that went on that day, and I eventually (years later) regained a craving for corned beef on St. Patty's Day. After pouring over cookbooks and tweeking various recipes, I believe this recipe is a winner! It's not your soggy old cabbage, and I think adding the beef broth and Guinness really do the trick.
Corned Beed & Cabbage Recipe
Total Time: 5 hours, serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 5 pounds corned beef
- 5 garlic cloves, pealed and lightly smashed
- 10 peppercorns
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 ounces stout (recommended: Guinness)
- 1 cup beef broth or stock
- Water, for simmering
- 4 yellow onions, cut into wedges, plus 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 6 medium red potatoes, scrubbed
- 1 medium head green cabbage, cut into quarters, core removed
- 4 tablespoons butter
Directions
Rinse the corned beef and put it into a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot. Make a bouquet garni with the garlic, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaves and add to the pot. Stir in the stout, stock and enough water to cover the corned beef by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 4 hours, covered, stirring occasionally.
After 4 hours, add the onion wedges and carrots, and cook for a 1/2 hour. Add the potatoes and the cabbage wedges and continue cooking until the cabbage is tender, but not limp, about 20 minutes. Remove the cabbage to a plate and allow the corned beef and other vegetables to continue cooking until the meat is tender.
In a separate large saute pan, heat 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onion, and a pinch of salt and saute until tender and just beginning to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the cooked cabbage thinly, gently pressing with a paper towel to remove excess water. Add the cabbage to the onion mixture and toss to coat well with the butter. Cook over medium heat until the cabbage begins to brown.
Remove the meat to a cutting board, let it rest for 10 minutes, then slice. Arrange the sliced meat down the center of a serving platter and pour a little broth over the meat. Arrange all of the vegetables around the meat. Enjoy!
