Irish Dinner

Corned beef is beef brisket that has been brined in salt and spices such as garlic, allspice, black pepper, and bay leaves. The process takes several weeks and can be done at home, in the refrigerator, if you clear off a shelf for the brining meat. Or you can come in to City Market and pick up a delicious local corned beef thanks to Jamie Lewis, our Meat & Seafood Manager, who has been making it for a couple of years now for St. Patrick’s Day.

But lest you think your work is done, you still need to boil the meat for about 3 hours, so you CAN take credit for this delicious meal. A 2-pound beef brisket will set you back almost $20 (that’s a reasonable mid-range $8.99/lb.), but everything else that goes into this meal is very inexpensive – potatoes, carrots, and cabbage - so the sum total is quite reasonable. Serve it with homemade horseradish sauce and Irish Soda Bread, and your family will think you had some help from the "leprechauns." 

Here are some pictures of the process.

A beautiful 2-pound LaPlatte corned brisket (you can see an allspice berry clinging to the meat), rinsed and ready for the long simmer:

While it's simmering, get started on the Irish Soda Bread, with a little help from your local leprechaun (this is the all-important cutting in the butter step):

Knead the dough in a little flour just until it forms a ball, then roll into a greased and floured pie pan. That's the secret to getting a nice, round loaf that's crusty on the outside, moist on the inside:

After 1 hour, the Irish Soda Bread is done (don't ask me what happened to the other loaf, it was snatched by little hands upon removal from the oven):

After 3 hours, the beef is tender and easy to slice. The vegetables added in the last 30 minutes have taken on the flavor of the brine:

Now you need to make horseradish sauce. Take one of these ugly, knobby roots and peel about a 2" chunk. Grate it on a fine grater, and mix with yogurt. Couldn't be easier (purists will use heavy cream or sour cream):

 The horseradish really gives the dinner a kick, so don't skip it! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

1 corned beef brisket (about 2 pounds)
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
5-6 red potatoes, cut into quarters
2 local carrots, sliced into ¼” rounds
1 small green cabbage, core removed and cut into wedges
 
Rinse brisket to remove the surface brine. Place in a large pot and add water to cover. Add bay leaf and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer, covered, until a fork can easily slide into the center, about 3 hours. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, add potatoes and carrots. Allow to cook 10 minutes, then add cabbage. Cook another 15-20 minutes, until cabbage is tender.
 
To serve, slice meat and place on serving platter. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and add to serving platter. Serve with horseradish sauce on the side (below), and slices of Irish Soda Bread (below).
 
Horseradish Sauce
2 Tbs. packed grated horseradish (or drained prepared horseradish)
½ cup yogurt
Pinch salt and pepper
 
Irish Soda Bread
This soda bread has a nice, crusty exterior that comes from the extra flour and a soft, slightly sweet inside.
 
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 cup quick oats
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
4 Tbs. butter
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
3/4-1 cup currants
pinch caraway seeds
 
Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9” pie plate.
 
Combine all-purpose flour with the quick oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir well. Cut in 4 Tbs. butter until butter is coated with flour and in pea-sized pieces. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, maple syrup, and eggs. Beat slightly. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add currants and optional caraway seeds.
           
Sprinkle flour on a wooden cutting board and turn dough onto board. Knead gently 10 times, until the dough is well-dusted with flour. Form into a round and turn onto the greased pie plate. Cut a cross in the center, about 3” long and 1” deep. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

 

St. Patrick's Day