Last weekend my parents were in town to see the opera so I took them to the West Side Market. Corned beef was a holiday special among the vendors, so we bought one and a cabbage too, and I made myself some corned beef and cabbage.
My mom usually made corned beef and cabbage once a year for St. Patrick's day, and although it is simple to make and made of "cheap" ingredients, it still special, which makes it taste especially good. My spring break at Northwestern was always too late to make it home for some corned beef, so my parents would save me some leftovers. Now I can make it myself. Like I said, it's pretty simple.
As far as healthy, chemical-free eating goes, corned beef is probably not the way to go...the packages tell you what it's tenderized with, and the fact that I can't remember what it's called is probably warning enough. Once a year can't hurt too much though, right?
As for cooking it, it's pretty easy.
You'll need:
1 corned beef (about 2 lbs)
5 red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced in half
8 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 in pieces
1 head of cabbage, cored and cut into eighths
What you do:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
Put the corned beef and the spice packet in a Dutch oven and fill with enough water to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil on the stove and simmer, covered for 1 1/2-2 hours.
Add the potatoes and carrots and simmer for 15 minutes, then add the cabbage and cook for another 15 minutes. When the vegetables are tender, remove the vegetables to a plate. Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven, uncovered (making sure the meat is fat-side up) and cook until the fat is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
When the pot comes out of the oven, remove the meat to rest for 5-10 minutes, and add the vegetables back to the broth to keep warm and absorb more flavor as the liquid cools.
Slice the meat crosswise and serve with the vegetables.
I got this done a little early this year so I can share it with you in time for St. Patrick's Day.
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