Focus on food: March 15, 2007

Homemade Corned Beef & Cabbage

Did you know that the name "corning" originates from years past, before the invention of refrigeration. In olden times, meat was dry-cured in kernal sized coarse salt. These pieces of salt were actually rubbed into the beef to preserve the meat. The use of salt water has replaced the original dry salt cure, yet the name "corned beef" is still used instead of "brined" beef. The addition of spices such as peppercorns and bay leaf are currently used to give corned beef a more distinguished flavor.

Here at Lees Market, we've made our very own Old Fashioned Corned Beef for the last fifty years. Our Corned Beef is made from a Flat Cut (Straight) or Round cut and is grayish-pink in color because it is simply made with salt. There are no preservatives or additional seasonings added in the corning process. If you have any questions, please ask for Dave, Mike or Andy when you visit our Meat Department.

The following recipe is from our Westport Cooks Archives and a previous class "An Irish Evening" with Riverview Caterers. You can use this recipe and add your own style as you make your own homemade corned beef and cabbage dinner.

Ingredients:
Serves 12

• 1 ¾ lb Onions
• 2 ½ lb Carrots
• 6 lb. Corned beef brisket or round,
• spiced or unspiced
• 1 cup Malt Vinegar
• 6 oz. Irish stout
• 1 Tablespoon mustard seed
• 1 Tablespoon coriander seed
• ½ Tablespoon black peppercorns
• ½ Tablespoon dill seed
• ½ Tablespoon whole allspice
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 lb. Cabbage, rinsed
• 2 1/2lb small red potatoes
• ½ cup coarse grain mustard
• ½ cup Dijon mustard

Directions:
1. Coarsely chop enough onions and carrots to make 1 c. of each. In a roast pan, place onions, and carrots, corned beef with any liquid, vinegar, stout, mustard seed, coriander, peppercorns, dill, allspice, and bay leaves. Add water to barely cover beef. Cover pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer until meat is tender when pierced, 2 ½ to 3 hours.

2. Meanwhile, cut remaining onions into wedges. Cut remaining carrots into 2 inch lengths, halve them lengthwise if large. Cut cabbages in half through cores, then into wedges. Scrub potatoes.

3. Add onion, carrots, potatoes to tender corned beef, place cabbage on top. Cover and return to simmering over high heat; reducing heat and simmer until cabbage is tender when pierced. 20-25 minutes.

4. With a slotted spoon, scoop out vegetables into serving dishes. Remove beef to a cutting board; cut off and discard fat. Slice meat across grain and serve with mustards.