Authentic Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage

Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all! I hope everyone is wearing the green today and enjoying this wonderful celebration. I think everyone is just a wee bit Irish today. I would like to present to you a wonderful recipe for a very authentic and traditional Irish corned beef and cabbage. I learned the secrets from the matriarch of an Irish family of a dear old friend. So, I must first say thank you to Mrs. M. and let her know that I make this recipe every year. I hope you enjoy.

Authentic Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients:

1 - 3 1/2 to 4 lb. flat cut corned beef brisket (corned beef shrinks quite a bit during cooking)

1 large or 2 small cinnamon sticks, crumbled

12 allspice, whole

1/2 tsp. brown mustard seeds

1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds

1 1/2 tsp. coriander, whole

2 large bay leaves, crumbled

1/4 tsp. cloves, whole

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. black peppercorns

1/4 tsp. mace

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 - 6" x 6" square of cheesecloth and kitchen string

1 head garlic, sliced in half across the equator

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 medium head cabbage, cleaned and sliced into 8 wedges (leave the core intact)

Begin by preparing the spice blend for the corned beef. Place all of the spices, except the garlic, on the cheesecloth and bring the sides up and twist to form a package. Tie tight with the string and set aside.

Rinse the corned beef brisket well under cool running water. This helps to eliminate a small bit of the salt from the corning process. Place the corned beef in a large pot or dutch oven. Add the spice package, garlic and white vinegar. Fill the pot with cold water to cover the corned beef by at least 2" or 3". Place pot on high heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer for about 3 hours or until the corned beef starts to feel very tender and an inserted fork comes out easily. Add the cabbage wedges into the pot and continue to simmer for about an hour or until the cabbage is done and tender enough to your liking. Let the corned beef rest for about 15 minutes before slicing it with a serrated edge or electric knife, making the slices across the grain.

If you are salt sensitive you can help reduce the sodium in corned beef a little more by changing out the water a few times as it is cooking. This will make the cooking time longer as you have to keep bringing the new water to a boil and then continue simmering. Just pour out the cooking water, leaving the corned beef, spice package and garlic and add fresh water and vinegar about two or three times during the cooking process.

Nutrition Facts

8 Servings (3 ounces Corned Beef and 1/8 wedge Cabbage)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 191.4

Total Fat 11.2 g

Saturated Fat 4.6 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.2 g

Cholesterol 52.5 mg

Sodium 765.2 mg

Potassium 333.9 mg

Total Carbohydrate 10.3 g

Dietary Fiber 3.4 g

Sugars 0.2 g

Protein 13.7 g