Corned beef brisket and cabbage is mostly known as an Irish-American meal. My honey is half Irish. He absolutely loves beef brisket, especially in a sandwich, so I make it pretty often.
I have discovered that there are many versions of corn beef and cabbage, especially in the South. In my version, I add potatoes as sort of a tribute to the Irish culture, because in 1850 there was a famine in Ireland that badly affected the potato crops and left a million people dead from starvation, and forced another million to flee to the United States.
Even though it was a long time ago, events in history often influence food and how it is prepared. This is the case with my corned beef brisket.
The corned beef and cabbage brisket meal I make is a one-pot meal, but it is a two-stepper. First on the stove top and then into the oven it goes. I add a bit of spice that my honey loves, and dinner is ready.
The real special part of this cook is that it can actually be made and enjoyed; and then the leftover meat can make a totally different version, plus a few brisket sandwiches. Awesome. Time-saving. Dollar stretcher.
Corned Beef Brisket and Cabbage Recip
Ingredients
3 to 4 lb. corned beef brisket
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
4 cups hot water
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 fresh cabbage, cut into 3 wedges
1 teaspoon salt and black pepper
Dijon mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash ground cloves
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Preparation
Remove fat from brisket and sear in hot dutch oven. Add hot water so it just covers the meat. Add the onion, garlic and bay leaf. Cover, and slow cook on stove top until the meat easily pulls apart. About 6 hours.
Remove from liquid, and place in baking dish. Brush mustard over top and sides of cooked beef brisket. Mix brown sugar, cayenne pepper, cloves and maple syrup in a small bowl; and then dot top of meat until evenly distributed. Smash with fork so as much of top of meat is covered with the sugar mixture. Place in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
While the meat is in the oven, remove the bay leaf from the pot, and add in the potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Cover and cook on medium for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through. You will be able to easily pierce the potatoes and carrots with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove brisket from oven, and slice.
With slotted spoon or "spider" skimmer, scoop out a portion of vegetables from the Dutch Oven, place on dinner plate, and serve with 2 or 3 slices of the brisket. Put some fresh bread on the table to sop up juices. It's a complete meal that makes a memory for your mouth.
Makes 6 to 8 servings, plus leftovers.
The secret to this corn beef and cabbage recipe is the slow cooking. I've done is faster and it just doesn't come out the same.
Tip: Enjoy your delicious corned beef and cabbage brisket dinner. Divide the meat leftovers into two, and freeze half for another day. The meat freezes beautifully. When ready to make another version, remove from freezer and thaw.
Place on baking dish, and slather with your favorite barbecue sauce, heat through, and serve with baked beans and potato salad. Yummy. For the other half of the leftovers, slice and save for out-of-this-world corned beef sandwiches, so delicious either hot or cold right out of the refrigerator.
That's it for today, blog.
