Corned Beef and Cabbage

Next on my tour of St. Patrick’s Day recipes is corned beef and cabbage – a traditional holiday dish that I learned isn’t actually from Ireland! Corned beef and cabbage is a dish that came about in New York City in the late 1800s and is actually a blend of Jewish- and Irish-American cooking. The less expensive beef and cabbage were substituted by Irish immigrants for traditional ingredients of pork and potatoes. I find it interesting how traditional foods can be changed by time and the influence of other cultures! I have to admit that I hadn’t previously looked into the history of meals that we make, but will make it a point to do so more often for both the history lesson and the added cultural awareness and knowledge.

Corned beef and cabbage is easy to make – you can even buy beef already packaged with brine and seasonings, use a premixed pickling seasoning, or follow the recipe below!

Ingredients

• Three pound corned beef
• 1 tablespoon peppercorn
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 head of cabbage, quartered
• ~two pounds of potatoes
• ~two pounds of carrots

Directions

Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the beef plus an inch. Place the beef and spices (or seasoning packet, if your beef included one) into the water and bring to a simmer (we placed a plate on the meat to keep it submerged). Don’t let the water boil! Cover and cook for one hour. Chop the potatoes and carrots into cubes and small pieces, cut the cabbage into quarters, and add to the beef and spices. Simmer for another hour until vegetables are tender, and remove the meat and vegetables from the pot. Cut the beef across the grain for best texture (learn how here!) before serving.