As with all my recipes, this one bears a disclaimer—the corned beef. It is getting harder and harder to find anything other than the corned beef packaged in shrink-rap emblazoned with an Irish name around St. Patrick’s Day.
If you have a butcher and can order a first cut corned beef, go for it—it will be leaner, larger, shrink less during cooking and feed more people. Four pounds of grocery store corned beef will serve four to six, while a first cut brisket will feed as many as eight. If you are making this recipe to serve eight and cannot find a first cut, I think it’s best to play it safe and buy two pieces of meat; you’ll end up with leftovers, but those can be used to make Reubens, and that’s actually favorite way to combine corned beef and cabbage.
As for the cabbage, I am not a fan of wedges cooked to watery imperfection as is generally the case; when I make corned beef and cabbage, the cabbage is shredded and sautéed, a technique that has been met by approval by my Irish relatives who say that is how the cabbage they grew up on was cooked. So there.
For the braise
1 corned beef brisket, first cut if possible
2 medium onions cut in quarters
3 carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces
3 ribs celery, cut in 2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, cut in half
2 bay leaves
1 strip of rind from an orange, and the juice of the orange
8 whole cloves
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse off the corned beef and pat dry. Place a portion of the vegetables and flavoring agents in a dutch oven (or other pan that can go from stove to oven), add the beef and top with the rest of the vegetables. Add cold water so that it does not quite come up the top of the beef and place on the stove; bring to a boil and transfer to the oven.
Cook with the lid slightly ajar, turning the meat over every thirty minutes, until it is very tender but not falling apart—a fork should easily pierce but not shred the meat when it is done—anywhere from 2 ½ to 3 hours. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees. Remove the meat to a platter, cover with foil and place in the oven, along with a serving bowl for the cabbage.
To finish the dish
8 small leeks (about the size of a carrot) or 16 small boiling onions
8 small carrots (about 6-inches long) scrubbed, or 6 regular carrots, scrubbed and cut diagonally in 2-inch lengths
3 parsnips, peeled and cut in 2-inch pieces
16 small new potatoes or 8 medium potatoes, scrubbed and trimmed
1 head cabbage, about 3 pounds, cored and coarsely shredded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Horseradish, Cumberland sauce, and mustard, for serving
If you are using the leeks, trim off all but about an inch or two of the dark green and wash the leeks in a bowl of water. If you are using the onions, peel them (blanching for a minute in boiling water makes this easier if they are stubborn).
Strain the meat cooking liquid and discard the vegetables. Return the broth to the pot and bring to a simmer. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter; cook until it is foamy and add the cabbage. Sprinkle lightly with salt and stir to combine.
Meanwhile place the remaining vegetables in the broth and simmer covered over low heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Add a ½ cup or so of the broth to the cabbage and continue to cook until it is tender, but not mushy, adding salt and pepper as needed. Slice the meat and put back on the platter with the vegetables arranged around it; transfer the cabbage to the bowl and serve.
Serves 8
Cumberland Sauce
For those who like a sweet and slightly-spicy accompaniment to their corned beef.
1 cup red currant jelly
½ cup Port
The juice and grated rind of an orange
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the jelly is melted and the ingredients are combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed, at least 2 hours.
Makes 1 ½ cups sauce
