Hello again and thanks for stopping by. Right now I’m sure everyone is aware of whats happening in our world. Things have changed almost overnight and one of the biggest changes is “social distancing”. In my many years of life I don’t ever recall a time when all sporting events, art and culture centers have been closed and I certainly don’t remember any Saint Patrick’s Day Parade being cancelled, I may be wrong so you can Google it. However, not having a parade shouldn’t stop you from making one of the staples of the day (in America) corned beef and cabbage. Interestingly the dish isn’t really Irish and isn’t something that’s usually served in Ireland, mostly its served in America. Some say it came from England’s love of beef and their need to outsource it’s production to places like Ireland. They corned the beef to preserve it and it went on to become what it is today. Yet, others say in America at least that it came from the Jewish community where Jewish and Irish immigrants lived closely together. The Irish enjoyed the corned beef as it reminded them of their Irish bacon. Cabbage was cheap and cooking them together in a single pot was also cost efficient. I’m leaning towards the later explanation , and I’m not certain it matters how it got here. One things for certain, Corned Beef and Cabbage is part of Saint Patrick’s Day in America, so lets dig into this one pot wonder!
Even in today’s atmosphere you should be able to find a piece of corned beef in any supermarket. Look for one about 3-4 pounds. A head of cabbage, green is the usual but I like red so thats what I bought. Get some potatoes, carrots,2 bay leaves and an onion. Some people like to use use brown sugar and a little apple cider vinegar. It’s very simple to make and gives you that comfort food feeling we all love so much.
- A 3-4 pound piece of corned beef with spice packet
- 1 pound of potatoes, cut up if large or whole if small (peeling optional)
- 4 carrots cut up
- 1 head of cabbage cut into wedges
- 1 onion diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- water or broth to cover the corned beef
- salt and pepper to taste.
- In a pot large enough to hold everything add the corned beef the spice packet, onion and the apple cider vinegar and sugar and enough water to cover the beef. Bring to a boil, turn it down to a simmer and cover and cook until tender, about 2 hours. Next add the potatoes and carrots and cook another 30 minutes. Lastly, add the cabbage and cook for additional 15-20 minutes or until the cabbage is soft. Salt and pepper to taste. You may have to add a little water or broth while it’s cooking so keep an eye on the corned beef during the first part of the process. You can serve it in a bowl with the broth or on a plate without the broth, it’s up to you!
I hope you take this time of “social distancing” to enjoy your cooking. This is a good time to break out some old family recipes and give them a try. If you have any concerns or worries about this time in our world please feel free to share your thoughts in the box below and if you have any questions please place those in the box below too. Keep calm and cook on. Until next time Boone Appétit!
