Corned beef. You either love it or hate it. Or you like how it tastes but hate how it smells while cooking. This recipe has been tested on all three groups and passes with high marks. And in my book, it’s good enough to eat on any cold night when you crave simple, flavorful fare.
But if your house is home to leprechauns, try this for St. Patrick’s Day next week. It’s heavy on vegetables, which, along with the meat, are delicious topped with a simple cheese sauce.
CHEESE SAUCE Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan. Add about ¼ cup chopped onion and sauté until soft. Add 2 tablespoons flour and blend well. A bit at a time, add about 2 cups milk (skim is fine), blending well after each addition. Add about 8 ounces cheese such as American, cheddar, Velveeta or a mixture of leftover cheeses, then stir til it melts.
Unless you’re watching sodium intake, cook the potatoes and carrots in water salted liberally (my taste says up to 2 tablespoons) to match the saltiness of the brine-cured meat. Be liberal with the water as well to allow for adding the cabbage later.
CARAWAY CORNED BEEF
Stovetop time: 4 hours
8 servings
- 3 pounds corned beef brisket
- Spice packet from corned beef
- 2 teaspoons caraway seed
- 1 orange stuck with 20 whole cloves
- 2 pounds potatoes, unpeeled and quartered
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced cross-wise
- 2 teaspoons caraway seed
- 8 wedges cabbages
Cut fat away from the meat and discard. Place meat and contents of spice packet in an eight-quart Dutch oven. Add 2 teaspoons caraway seed and orange, then cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer and cook for 4 hours. (Can be cooked ahead and reheated.)
When meat has cooked for 3 hours, place potatoes, carrots and another 2 teaspoons caraway seed in a second eight-quart Dutch oven or kettle with water to cover. Add salt to taste. (See TIPS.) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer. Cook for about 40 minutes. Add cabbage and cook another 6 – 8 minutes or until cabbage is fully cooked. Drain.
Drain meat (discarding the orange) and slice crosswise, removing any additional obvious fat. Serve with potatoes and carrots topped with cheese sauce along with mustard on the side.
• (2007) A butcher-cook recommended cooking the vegetables right in the meat rather than separately as here. In 2007, I tried both and much preferred the pure vegetable flavor when the cabbage, especially, is cooked separately.
• (2007) This is an easy-easy meal, especially good for a 'meat and potatoes' crowd.
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