Every St. Patrick’s day growing up my mom would make corned beef and cabbage for dinner. We would wake up on March 17 to See’s Candy Chocolate Potatoes in our shoes left by the leprechaun. After school we’d come home to thick slices of corned beef and boiled cabbage, potatoes and carrots. To be honest I didn’t care for the taste of the chocolate potato or the soggy boiled cabbage and salty, stringy meat. But I loved the tradition. I loved that my Mother and my Grandmother and my Great Grandmother had eaten this meal every year as girls, then young women until they started to make it for their own families. Now I make this annual feast for my husband and friends and have some tips on how to make it taste less soggy and stringy (sorry Mom.)
St. Patrick’s Day Menu
Aged Irish Cheddar with Oat Biscuits
Corned Beef and Boiled Cabbage, Heirloom Carrots and Fingerling Potatoes with Creamy Dijon Sauce
Rye Soda Bread with Salted Irish Butter and Apricot Jam
Don’t over cook the vegetables! They should poach in the salty brine water until just tender, preserving their natural flavor and texture.
Corned Beef with Boiled Cabbage, Potatoes and Carrots
serves 4
Ingredients
1x 3lb corned beef round (cooks way down so get more than you think you need)
20x small potatoes (I like fingerling or red potatoes), scrubbed
2x bundles of carrots (preferably heirloom), scrubbed and cut into 2″ pieces
1x head of green cabbage, cut into 4-6 wedges leaving the core intact
Instructions
Place corned beef and all the brine liquid and herbs in a large pot with water covering the meat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and cover. Let cook for 3-4 hours with the lid on. You may have to add more water to the pot a few times. Once the meat is very tender and shreds with a fork, remove the meat and cover on a cutting board with foil. Strain any foamy meat goo and large herbs and peppercorns from the boiling water then add the potatoes. Boil uncovered until almost fork tender and then add the carrots. Once the carrots are almost tender add the cabbage wedges. Leaving the core in the cabbage keeps the leaves from falling off and making a mess in the pot. While the vegetables finish, slice the meat into thick wedges against the grain of the corned beef. Once the cabbage is JUST cooked and still bright green remove all the vegetables to a platter. Serve immediately with thick slices of the meat and Creamy Dijon Sauce.
Creamy Dijon Sauce
4 ounces Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallots
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients and serve chilled.
Happy St. Pats,
Lydia
