Corned beef a tasty way to celebrate
The things I don’t know.
St. Patrick’s Day is on Friday and I automatically think of corned beef and cabbage, without ever having had a clue of what “corned” beef is.
However, I’ve learned a lot lately. I recently picked up a wonderful book called “Charcuterie, The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing,” by Mark Ruhlman and Brian Polycyn. While looking at beginner’s projects that I could try, darned if I didn’t see a recipe for making your own corned beef, and I considered the word’s meaning for the first time.
I read at foodtimeline.org (a neat site) that use of the word “corned beef” dates back to 1621. The actual process of “corning” – so named for the kernels, or corns, of salt pressed into the meat to preserve it – goes back hundreds of years further.
Who knew?
Not me. I also didn’t know that eating it on St. Patty’s Day is an American, not Irish, tradition.
I do know that this was the best corned beef I’ve ever had. Try it with assorted veggies and horseradish sauce.
Home cooking doesn’t get much easier or tastier than this.
Corned Beef
From Charcuterie, by Mark Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn (W.W. Norton & Co., 2005)
1 gallon water
2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
5 teaspoons pink salt (see note)
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons pickling spice, divided
One 5 pound well-marbled (first-cut) beef brisket
Combine the water, kosher salt, sugar, pink salt, garlic and 2 tablespoons pickling spice in a pot large enough to hold the brisket comfortably. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the brine until it’s completely chilled.
Place the brisket in the brine and weight it down with a plate to keep it submerged. Refrigerate for 5 days.
Remove the brisket from the brine and rinse it thoroughly under cool running water.
Place the brisket in a pot just large enough to hold it and add enough water to cover the meat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons pickling spice and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 3 hours, or until the brisket is fork-tender (replenish the water, to cover, if gets too low).
Remove the corned beef from the cooking liquid. Slice the beef and serve warm, or cool, then wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve, or for up to a week.
Note: Pink salt, or nitrite, is available locally from the Michlitch company, sold as “Prague Powder #1.”
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Adapted from “The New Basics Cookbook,” Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, (Workman Publishing, 1989)
1 fresh corned beef (5 to 6 pounds)
2 onions, quartered
4 carrots, peeled and halved
2 stalks celery, washed and cut in thirds
2 tablespoons pickling spice
1 green cabbage (3 pounds), cored and cut into 6 wedges
12-16 small red new potatoes
2 large sweet onions, peeled and quartered
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 1/2-inch lengths (and/or your choice of root vegetables; I especially like rutabagas)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 cups horseradish cream sauce (recipe follows)
Put the corned beef in a large enough pot to fully cover with water. Add the onions, halved carrots, and celery. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 3 hours, turning the beef over every 30 minutes. When tender, remove it from the pot, place it on a large ovenproof serving platter, cover with foil and place in a warm oven.
Strain the broth and return to the pot. Add all remaining ingredients (except the horseradish sauce). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables.
Remove beef from the oven and surround it with the veggies. Ladle broth over everything, and sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley. Serve with the horseradish cream sauce.
Yield: 8 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.
Horseradish Cream Sauce
From The New Basics Cookbook
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup prepared horseradish, drained
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Whip the heavy cream in a bowl until it forms soft peaks.
Combine the mayonnaise, horseradish, and mustard in another bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream. Add the sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir well, and transfer to a serving bowl.
Yield: 2 cups