Title: Corned Beef and Cabbage, Boiled By James Beard, Chef
Categories: Entree Meat Vegetable
Yield: 6 Servings
| 6 | lb | Corned beef brisket |
| 1 | | Onion; peeled & stuck with: |
| 3 | | Cloves (for onion) |
| 10 | lg | Garlic cloves; peeled |
| 1 | tb | Pepper; freshly ground black |
| ACCOMPANYING VEGETABLES |
| 6 | md | Onions; peeled (stick cloves in onions) |
| 6 | lg | Carrots; scraped |
| 6 | md | Potatoes; (or 10 for hash) |
| 6 | | Turnips; peeled |
| 1 | md | Cabbage |
Note: To cook the corned beef you will need a good, 8 to 10 quart size pot
which can be aluminum, Magnalite, Corning Ware or anything of that sort.
The size is more important than the material. * Cooking the Corned Beef *
Wipe the corned beef well with a damp cloth; put it in the pot and cover
with cold water. Bring to a boil over rather high heat. Boil for 5 to 6
minutes, skimming off the grey foamy scum that rises to the surface with a
wire skimmer or large spoon. This will give you a clearer, purer broth.
It's very important with any boiled meat, to skim off this scum drawn from
the meat. Add the onion stuck with cloves, the garlic cloves, and the
pepper and boil another 10 minutes, skimming. Then reduce the heat to a
simmer (250dF on a burner with a thermostat), cover the pot, and let it
simmer at a faint, gentle ebullition for 2 hours. At this point test the
meat for tenderness with a large fork. As this is not a very tender piece
of meat, it will offer some resistance, but it should just yield to the
fork. You must be careful not to overcook corned beef or the meat will
become dry and stringy. It's very important to maintain some moisture in
the meat. If you are not sure about the tenderness, remove the meat to a
plate and cut of a tiny piece from the edge and taste it. If you have a
meat thermometer check the internal temperature, which should be between
145dF and 150dF. If the meat seems tender turn off the heat and let it rest
in the liquid. If it does not test tender either continue cooking or, if
you have started it in the morning and are ahead of serving time, leave it
in the liquid and finish the cooking later. * Cooking the Vegetables *
Start 1 hour before serving. Traditionally, all the vegetables for a corned
beef dinner are cooked in the pot with the meat. I have long since decided
that the vegetables look and taste better if they are cooked separately in
plain salted water, instead of in a briney, fatty broth. If you have
sufficient pots and burners, I recommend that you follow this procedure, as
each vegetable will then retain its own character and flavor. However, it
is perfectly acceptable to cook the potatoes with the beef, provided you
scrub them and leave them in their skins so they don't absorb the fat, and
to use only one extra pot, first putting in the longest-cooking vegetables
(the onions and carrots), then the turnips, and finally the cabbage. Or, if
you have a large pot and a steamer, put the onions and carrots in the water
and steam the turnips over them. Cook the cabbage separately.
Here is a timetable for the vegetables:
: ONIONS. Put in a pot with water to cover, season with 1 tblspn salt.
Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 1 hour or until crisply tender when
tested with the point of a knife.
: CARROTS. Follow the same procedure, seasoning the water with 2 tspns
salt and 1/2 tspn marjoram. Simmer 30 minutes, or until tender when tested.
: POTATOES. Scrub but to not peel. Follow the same procedure, seasoning
the water with 1 tblspn salt, or simmer with the corned beef for 30 minutes
or until tender. If you are planning to make corned beer hash, cook the 4
extra potatoes, otherwise allow 1 potato per person.
: TURNIPS. Leave whole if small; halve or quarter if large. Follow the
same procedure, seasoning the water with 3 tspns salt. Simmer for 20
minutes or until tender when tested.
: CABBAGE. Remove coarse or discolored outer leaves and cut in sixths.
Put in a pot with water to cover, seasoned with 2 tspns salt; cover. Bring
to a boil and boil rapidly for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just tender but
not overcooked or soggy. When ready to serve, remove the beef and discard
the broth as it cannot be saved for any other use. Let the beef stand on a
hot platter in a warm place for 10 minutes, to firm and settle the meat.
This makes it easier to carve. Surround it with the drained vegetables, the
potatoes still in their skins. Do not add butter. The vegetables are better
plain. Slice only as much meat as you need, keeping the rest in one piece
for future use. (Corned beef hash, or cold corned beef sandwiches). Serve
with a variety of mustards, horseradish, and, if you have any, good
homemade pickles.