Boiled Irish Dinner

Typically, every March, we will have a boiled Irish Dinner, corned beef. Braise it for several hours, about 40 minutes per pound, along with wedges of cabbage, carrots and potatoes. To finish the brisket, slather it with a good quality mustard and top that with brown sugar. Roast it in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.

However, for the last couple of years I have been buying the brisket and corning it myself. Corning a brisket is relatively easy which yields a more controlled, flavorful product. Add 8 ounces of canning/pickling salt, 3 ounces of powdered dextrose and 3 ounces of cure/salt peter to 5 quarts of water. Place brisket into pan, add a packet of pickling spices and place into a 40 degree refrigerator for 3-4 days for a 4 pound brisket, 5-6 days for a larger brisket.

Remove brisket from brine, place it into a large pan, cover with water, add 6 cloves, 2 cloves garlic finely chopped, 3 bay leaves and 2 onions halved. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 40 minutes per pound. Remove meet and add cut up potatoes and carrots for 10 minutes. Then add cabbage wedges for an additional 20 minutes. Meanwhile glaze and roast the meat.

An alternative to the veggies is to make a colcannon, a creamy combination of mashed potatoes, sauteed leeks and cooked, chopped cabbage. Colcannon can be made anytime not just for St. Patty's day. But at least once a year, we indulge.