Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned beef and cabbage is decidedly not a traditional Irish dish, but for whatever reason (and there is much debate about it) it has become a traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner in the US. For me, it's very similar to what I've always known as boiled dinner, except using corned beef brisket instead of ham hocks.

Yes, I am aware that I am late. My work schedule got in the way this year, so although I purchased everything I needed well before the holiday, I didn't actually have a chance to make it until well after. It happens.

Usually, I make it on the stove in a Dutch oven, letting it simmer away all day long. Sometimes I make it in the crock pot, although it requires almost as much supervision as simmering it on the stove. This year, I decided I was going to roast it in the oven, and I may never make it any other way again.

There are as many ways to make corned beef and cabbage as there are people who make it. Purists insist the only ingredients are the titular items, but I like to add more stuff. I do onion, garlic, red potatoes, carrots, and turnips in addition to the corned beef and cabbage. I also season the brisket with dry mustard and black pepper in addition to the seasoning packet that comes with it. Salt is absolutely not needed, as corned beef brine is already very salty.

See that roasting pan? It's my favourite. I think my grandma got it for my mom as a wedding present, and I use it a lot. There are actually two, but the big one gets the most use because I like to cook with leftovers in mind.

All the recipes say to place the brisket in the pan fat side up. I do it the other way, letting the fat layer act as a barrier between the meat and the pan. That way, when it sticks (and it will), all you're losing is fat instead of meat.

I sprinkled the top with the seasoning packet, then the dry mustard and pepper. Amounts listed in the actual recipe are an approximation as I didn't measure. Then I filled the pan with water until it almost reached the top of the brisket, and stuck it on the stove to come to a boil.

When the water came to a boil, I added some quartered onions and whole garlic cloves and let it simmer while the oven preheated, about 15 minutes. Then I covered the pan and into a 325F oven it went, where I didn't do anything with it except check to make sure there was still enough water for four hours.

After the aforementioned four hours, I peeled and quartered the turnips, quartered the potatoes, and halved and/or quartered the carrots and added them to the pan. I also seasoned the vegetables with a little more dry mustard and black pepper. Then I increased the temperature to 350F, covered the pan again, and let it go for another hour.

I then cut the cabbage into chunks and fit them on top of everything in the pan. At this point it needed some more water, so I added some and then sprinkled the cabbage with more black pepper. Covered the pan again, and back into the oven it went for another 90 minutes.

The vegetables were so tender they were hard to pick up with a fork, the cabbage was just starting to brown, and the corned beef pulled apart with a fork by the time it was done. You can choose to roast it for less time if you prefer firmer vegetables, but this is the way we love it.

Like I said, it's not really at all traditional, but my taste buds don't care. And you know the best part? I thought ahead and bought some sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, Thousand Island dressing, and a loaf of good deli rye bread. Soon there will be Reubens!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Serves 12

1 (4 pound) corned beef brisket

8 cups water, divided

1 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, divided

2 large onions, quartered

4 garlic cloves, peeled

6 red potatoes, quartered

3 large turnips, peeled and quartered

6 carrots, halved or quartered

1 large head cabbage, cut in wedges

Place brisket fat side down in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with the included seasoning packet, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard. Fill pan with water until it almost reaches the top of the meat.

Place roasting pan on stove and bring water to a boil. Add onion and garlic, reduce heat to medium-high, and simmer about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325F.

Once oven has come to temperature, cover pan and place in oven. Roast for 4 hours, checking occasionally to see if you need to add more water.

Add potatoes, turnips, and carrots to pan, arranging around brisket and submerging in water as much as possible (add more water if necessary, but don't completely cover the meat). Sprinkle vegetables with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and remaining dry mustard. Cover pan and return to oven to roast for another hour.

Arrange cabbage in pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover pan and return to oven to roast for another 60-90 minutes.

Serving Size: 510g

Calories: 367

Calories from Fat: 172

Total Fat: 19.1g

Saturated Fat: 8.1g

Trans Fat: 0.0g

Cholesterol: 95mg

Sodium: 1392mg

Total Carbohydrates: 25.2g

Dietary Fiber: 3.9g

Sugars: 5.2g

Protein: 23.2g