Corned Beef

Posted by Michele at 7:20 AM 0 comments

If you are Irish American, nothing screams out "St. Patrick's Day" like corned beef and cabbage alongside a Guinness. Why corned beef you ask?  Many Irish immigrants longed for the traditional salted pork (read: BACON!) and cabbage.  Corned beef reminded them of the homeland, and the American tradition of corned beef and cabbage was born!

Here's my take (which we eat on days other than St. Patrick's Day).  Enjoy it with a side of Colcannon!

You will need:
3-4 lbs corned beef (with the fat untrimmed)
1.5 lbs potatoes, cubed
1 lb baby carrots
Half head of cabbage, sliced into ribbons
1 large onion, diced
2/3 full stalk of celery (about 6 ribs), diced
2 tbsp olive oil
Seasonings (salt, pepper, Montreal steak seasoning, peppercorn blend)
1 bottle of Guinness (approximately 12 oz)
2 tbsp cornstarch
Large, cast iron Dutch oven

Season the beef to taste.  My preference is salt, pepper, and Montreal.

In a large, cast iron Dutch oven , heat the oil and sweat the onions and celery for approximately 5 minutes.

If needed, slice the beef so that it fits the pot, fat down.  (For the above slab, I cut it into thirds and filled the bottom of the DO.)

Layer over the carrots and potatoes.  Finish with the cabbage.  Pour the Guinness over SLOWLY (be careful to not spill it, since it will try to sit on the cabbage).

DO NOT STIR.  Put the top on the oven and reduce the heat to low (2 on the electric range). Leave it alone!  Don't check it!  Don't touch it!  Let it cook, unimpeded, for 4 hours.   Turn the heat off but keep covered; it will continue to cook, courtesy of the cast iron.  Leave it on the burner for an hour.

Plate it by covering the bottom of the plate with cabbage, piling the sliced corned beef in the center, and surrounding the plate with your root vegetables .

To make the gravy, pull out about a cup and a half of liquid from the pot (include onions and celery if desired) and place in a pan over high heat.  Pull another quarter cup of liquid and whisk in the cornstarch, then add the dissolved mixture into your pan, whisking rapidly.  Bring to a boil and whisk for 3-5 minutes, until thickened.

Best served with colcannon and soda bread, with gravy drizzled over the top.  Enjoy this tradition with a pint of Guinnes , and be grateful for time with good foo , good friends, and amazing family!

☘ Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘

Crock Pot Roast

Posted by Michele at 3:08 PM 0 comments

One of the easiest recipes in the world (and tastiest on a cool night) is my mom's pot roast in the crock pot.  It makes the house smell divine and warms you up no matter the temperature outside.

Toss the following into your crock pot, in this order:
2-3 pound roast, 1 bag of baby carrots, 1 white onion-diced, 4 red potatoes-diced.

Add your favorite spices.  I like to throw in 1tsp oregano, 1tsp rosemary, 1tsp basil, and 1tsp pepper.

Pour over 4 cups vegetable broth.  Cook on low for 6 hours. 

Remove 1 cup of the broth from the crockpot and whisk with 1/4 cup corn starch until there are no lumps.  Return to the pot and stir, shredding the beef as you go.

Serve with crusty bread or potato rolls.  This recipe freezes well; when you heat it up, add in 1/4 cup broth or water for every cup of stew.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Posted by Michele at 3:41 PM 0 comments

Originally posted here on March 18, 2011 as "A Perfect StP...Almost"

Corned Beef & Cabbage
Put your piece of corned beef (weight/size depends on you) in the bottom of your empty crock pot. Cut up a small onion into large pieces and toss those on top. Core a small cabbage and chunk it (like your onion, a little bigger is fine); toss it in. Cube 6-8 small Irish/white potatoes, skin on; toss those in. Dice 6 or so (peeled) carrots; toss those in. By now, your crock pot is pretty full. Pour on a bottle of Guinness, followed by 8-16 ounces of water (just enough so you can see it under everything but DO NOT cover the food!!!!). Cook on high for 4 hours, then on low/warm (my CP goes to warm immediately after) until you are ready to serve. I serve the veggies and then cut the meat and serve that, drizzled with the Guinness au jus, with my soda bread (recipe here), of course! So, enjoy!