Corned Beef and Cabbage

If there's one thing that old-timers here in Maine cook very often, it's the "boiled dinner."  If there's one thing that most old-timers here in Maine mess up very often, it's the "boiled dinner."  That's because here in Maine spices are not stressed or often used.  Things can be pretty bland here.  Also, they boil the daylights out of things, and they rarely use corned beef.  (Usually they use a cut of meat that resembles an old leather shoe.)  Well, that really just gets my "Irish" up, you know?  Because as an Irish-American gal, if there's one thing I like, it's my spicy corned beef and cabbage, otherwise known in Maine as "boiled dinner."  Dreadful name, that.

Now, I ask you, isn't that a nice-looking sliced corned beef?

Well, I promise this "boiled dinner" will not be dreadful!  In fact, once you taste my corned beef and cabbage, you may realize that you actually like this dish and will eat it more often, not just on St. Patrick's Day.  I think this is more of an Irish-American dish than it is a true Irish dish, even though here in America we like to think it's the quintessential Irish dish.  It is most likely more of a new world kind of thing.  But I won't tell anyone if you won't, and come St. Patrick's Day, you'll be the talk of the town!

Place your spices in the bottom of a large sauce pan.  Fill it with a couple of inches of water and stir well to distribute all the dried spices.  Add your corned beef and then fill the pot with more water, at least a few inches (or more) over the beef.  I fill mine up to a few inches from the top of the pan.  Put your heat on medium low and bring to a SLOW boil, covered.  It should take at least an hour (or more!) to reach the boil.  If it boils before an hour's time because your heat is too high, you will have tough meat.  When it reaches the boil, turn the meat over, turn the heat down to very low/simmer, and cook another hour, covered.

Slice your cabbage into 8 wedges, removing the core.  Place as many wedges into the pan as will fit (usually 4 for me).  Bring to a quick boil covered, turn the heat to low, and simmer for half an hour.  Remove the cabbage to a plate.  Remove the beef and slice.  Add the remaining cabbage, bring to a quick boil, turn the heat to low, and simmer for a half an hour while you are eating the other cooked cabbage and beef.

And really that's all there is to it!  I serve with a baked potato.  If your pan is big enough, you can add potatoes to the pan while the meat and the cabbage are cooking, then boil with them until done (potatoes take longer to cook than cabbage).  But I actually prefer the potatoes baked instead.  What makes this dish so outstanding is the liberal use of spices, some of which may seem very unusual to you but which impart a delicious flavor, especially to the cabbage.

3 to 4 pounds of corned beef

1 medium-sized cabbage

3 bay leaves

1 tbs powdered mustard

1 tbs pepper

1 tsp ground cloves

Add the spices to a large pan.  Add the beef with water to cover at least 3 inches, more is better.  Cover the pan and bring the beef to a very SLOW boil over medium-low heat.  It should take at least 1 hour for the water to boil, longer is better (an hour and a half is good).  After the pot comes to a boil, turn the beef over, cover the pot again, turn the heat down to very low/simmer, and cook for another hour.  Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges, removing the core.  Fit as many wedges into the pan as you can without overcrowding (usually 4 is good).  Bring to a quick boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for half an hour.  Remove cabbage and beef.  Cook the remaining cabbage the same way as the first batch while eating the beef and cabbage just removed.

TIPS:

1.  Sometimes a little spice packet comes with corned beef you get at a supermarket.  Immediately discard that as it's too puny to use and the spices are ancient and useless.

2.  Serve with potatoes.  You can boil your potatoes with the cabbage and beef, but baked potatoes taste better to me.  Whatever you like.

Recipe adapted from Malachi McCormick's "Irish Country Cooking."