It’s a pity that corned beef and cabbage is reserved for St. Patrick’s Day, because this is a one-dish wonder that most people love provided it is cooked properly. The secret is to never allow the water to boil too vigorously. It must be simmered very, very gently. To accomplish this, I like to cook the corned beef in a slow oven.
Ingredients
- 6 pounds corned beef brisket
- 2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
- 4–6 potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2–3 carrots, peeled and quartered
- 1 head cabbage, cut into wedges
- Mustard, to serve
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 250˚F.
- Place the corned beef in a large ovenproof pot and cover with water. Add the pickling spice. Cover tightly and bake for about 3 hours, until the meat is tender when poked with a fork.
- Let the meat cool in the cooking liquid for 15 minutes.
- Place the meat on a platter and cover with a tent of foil.
- Place the pot on top of the stove and bring the cooking liquid to a boil. Add the potatoes and carrots, and simmer for about 20 minutes. The vegetables should be firm but tender. Add the cabbage and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more, until all the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl. Cover and keep warm. Return the meat to the cooking liquid to reheat, about 5 minutes.
- Slice the meat against the grain and serve with the vegetables, passing mustard at the table.
