Corned Beef in March Dinner

Home made Corned Beef, Carrots, Rutabagas, Cabbage with Balsamic reduction, Soda Bread and new potatoes boiled, mashed, buttered, seasoned and roasted.

CORNED BEEF

FOR THE BRINE

2 quarts water

1 cup coarse salt (Canning and Pickling or Kosher)

1 tablespoon Tenderquick

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed

1 teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed

1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

1 cinnamon stick, crushed

4 dried bay leaves, crushed

8 whole cloves

1. Make the brine: Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add salts, sugar, and spices; remove from heat, and stir until salts and sugar dissolve. Let cool.

2. Make the corned beef: Place brisket in a nonreactive container just large enough to hold it. Pour cooled brine over meat. Place 2 small plates on top to keep meat submerged; cover, and refrigerate for 2 weeks.

Cooking Corned Beef 

Serves 6-8

3 1/2 lb  or so Corned Beef Brisket from above

1/2 to 1 bottle beer

Water to cover, approx 2 cups

10 black peppercorns

1 whole allspice

1 bay leaves

12 sprigs fresh parsley

3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

2 whole leeks, green trimmed to fit pot, slice white part to clean

1 medium onion, peeled, quartered

Simmer brisket about 3 hours

Add 

7 or 8 whole carrots, cleaned

2 large rutabagas, trimmed and quartered

Simmer 1/2 additional hour

Cabbage begin before adding vegetables about  30 minutes before

simmer

1 C. Balsamic vinegar 

2 Tablespoons sugar 

until reduced by half 

trim leafy outer leaves and cut in 8 wedges. Attach tooth picks to help hold them together..  Lighty oil skillet and brown cabbage then add the top of the brisket liquid to steam with the other vegetables about 20 minutes   Remove with spatula to serving platter, remove toothpicks, Sprinkle with salt and vinegar reduction.

1 cup Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Sugar (optional)

Crash Hot Potatoes

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 6

Ingredients

12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

 Kosher Salt To Taste

 Black Pepper To Taste

 Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

This year I used King Arthur Irish Soda Bread recipe. It said to add 1 1/2 C. buttermilk. It was too much. I had to add some flour to make it easier to handle. Cooked according to package direction in cake pan.