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Take on a little history then grab a slice of this sensational meal from the kitchens of  NekoYuki_Kun

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(Got snowed in, so couldn't post this in time. sorry.)

Non-Irish Corned Beef for St. Patrick’s Day (Or Anytime!) 9 P.M. 03/12/14 (Updated 03/26/14)

One of the things that I have heard from friends over the years (and thought myself) is how bland the traditional corned beef with cabbage is that we traditionally eat every year around March 17th.

I love corned beef (especially on sandwiches, having grown up near a famous deli neighborhood in Baltimore, MD), and I have wondered how any great cut of meat (such as the brisket) can be rendered powerless by the simple addition of potatoes and cabbage.

First let’s look at the original meal. Traditionally it is a boiled dish of white potatoes, cabbage, and corned beef brisket, to which certain spices are added. Sounds easy and it is. But after spending two to four hours cooking, you are rewarded by a meal that (unfortunately) leaves a lot to be desired. This is not the fault of the meal itself, but the ingredients. Keep in mind this is a meal of poverty, that the Irish used to take what was originally considered a poor cut of meat, and augment it with the only vegetables that were readily available at the time of the great potato famine. Sometimes they didn't even have the meat. The dish originally was derived from a much earlier dish called Gethsemane beef (recipe available online). This has nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day, but is associated with the last supper, which is close to Easter. It could have found its way to Ireland in one of two ways. Either with the descendants of the Hebrew tribe of Dan around the time of the fall of the temple in the first century AD (as they were seafarers and had trade as far as Ireland, and all over the Mediterranean. They are also believed to be the origin of the Tuatha De Dannon, which means "People of the tribe of Dan, also believed to be the origin of the country Denmark, and Danube River.) or from the Catholics that came after the conversion by St. Patrick (Originally an Italian sailor).

Normally the meat is cooked for several hours in a water bathe to which has been added several small onions (whole), 1/2 level teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 level teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 level teaspoon ground nutmeg, 2 or 3 bay leaves, 2 or 3 fresh minced garlic cloves, 1 level teaspoon of salt, 1/4 level teaspoon of fresh cracked coarse black pepper. This is where the original idea of "corning" comes from. Either way the dish has been in Ireland a long time and obviously made some changes along the way.

The original dish was an herbed cut of meat, not corned, and did not have potatoes, as they had not been imported yet. It did however have carrots. And in the original dish, the meat was usually mutton, as beef was not common yet as a food meat. White potatoes were not a native vegetable to Ireland, but were originally imported from the new world during the 15 and 1600's. The white potato is very bland, and is usually used in dishes that lend a lot of flavor to them. Even today the potato normally is topped with something to lend it flavor when served by itself. Cabbage is another vegetable that is normally bland in flavor (especially when overcooked by boiling, which is what is done in this dish). The "corned" beef is also a later addition, which I am unsure where it was introduced. Probably America. However corned meat was in London in 1725 by a chemist named John Wilson, as a way to preserve meat. This was done in a broth of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite (pink salt), along with sugar, salt, pepper, cloves, bay leaves, pickling spice, onion, and garlic.

For those truly interested in corning their meat in the traditional way, you can contact me for an accurate recipe of the process. Indeed it makes good any cut of game meat. Elk, antelope, venison, etc. Either way, my point to all this is that changes have been made to this recipe, so changes in my opinion should be made in the name of experimentation and enjoyment.

The later original "Irish corned beef" recipe used 6 small onions, 6 carrots, and 3 small (5" diameter) cabbages. Must be small. The smaller the better. Smaller cabbages have a distinctly different flavor, more like brussel sprouts. This is for a standard 3 to 4 pound brisket. Here the vegetables are added in the last hour of cooking. Usually 4 or 5 hours in all. Of course potatoes had not been introduced yet.
I by no means wish to offend any Irish people with the changing of this dish, or even those of us that are Irish for a day. This is not even truly meant to be a replacement, as much as a totally different take on the dish of basically boiled corned beef brisket. Perhaps if the Irish were not under oppression, and also dealing with a famine, they might have been able to come up with a dish similar to this.

What exactly is corned beef? Corned beef is the brisket cut (neck) of the beef cow, which usually has a layer of fat on one side, or preferably is marbled with fat. (Necessary for flavor, trust me here). Then it is "corned” in a brine for a number of hours, up to a day or so in a chemical salt known to chefs as "pink salt", then boiled for about 1 hour per pound till it reaches an internal temperature of 160+ degrees Fahrenheit, and a fork goes in and out cleanly. This is the same for this meal, as it is for what you buy at the deli as a form of lunch meat. I love the flavor of this, and spent a number of years wondering how to bring out this flavor, instead of dampening it in the traditional manner.

I owe some of the idea for this to a good friend, Linda Saxon (no longer with us). A fellow gastronome; the idea is this. Why use items that rob flavor, when we have options the original people to make this did not have or could afford, just because it is repeating a dish that was born out of strife? Granted, this is messing with tradition, so if you do not like the idea, stop reading now, and make it in the usual manner.

Recipe

• First get a 3 to 4 gallon restaurant style stainless steel pot with a lid.
• Into this put a 3 or 4 pound corned beef brisket that has been rinsed. If there is an excessive fat deposit on one side, you may cut most (but not all) of this off and dispose of it. Hopefully there is a marbled quality to your cut. Look first before buying. {Currently the brisket is averaging about $4 a pound. There is normally a "spice packet" included with the brisket.)

• Rinse off and add to the pot after opening. get out a small paring knife and make tiny "X’s" on the non-fat side of the brisket about 1" or so apart.

• Into this add a whole pepper corn and a whole mustard seed or two.

• Throw a small to medium amount of dried slivered garlic, or thinly sliced fresh garlic to the pot as well.

Now here is where the changes come in.

• First add cubed "red" or "Pontiac" potatoes instead of white potatoes. These have much more flavor than the white variety, and are closer to the original "native" American potato. Wash the potatoes first, then slice into cubes with the skin on (this is important). Make the cubes 1/2" to 1" in size.

• Next (trust me here on this), we are adding another root crop that could have been used if available. Get 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of standard carrots (or carrots of your choice), and wash, then slice rather long at the narrow end, to thinner at the base. This is another addition, rather than subtraction to the flavor, and adds a nice color as well.

• Lastly, wash then add 1/2 lb. to 1 lb. of sliced white mushrooms. If you do not like mushrooms, I forgive you, but the dish will not. Yes you might think of them as bland, but when cooked they add a rather interesting flavor to the meat and broth. Yes if the famine were not going on in Ireland, the original cooks could have used and obtained this.

• That’s it. Now bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 4 hours (more or less according to the requirements listed above for the beef).

The smell will drive you up the wall.

• Skim any scum off the top from time to time.

• When the meat is done, let cool partially in the refrigerator, till the fat can be easily skimmed off the top, reheat, and enjoy.

You will find what is left over slices well for sandwiches as well (please use traditional "hard" seeded rye bread with this, as there has been a move to the soft non seeded type of late. This type has little or no flavor, being a mix or rye bread, and white, and the "caraway" seeds on top are the most important part of the flavor).

Good in any number of ways, with mustard, or not, Swiss cheese or not, or even with "Dixie" cole slaw, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing (sometimes even sauerkraut is added to one side of this). Of course hot right out of the pot with the vegetables and some broth is still the best of all.

Enjoy!

A final last note, sometimes there are two styles of packaged corned beef offered for sale, sometimes by the same company. One is point cut, one is flat cut. Get the flat cut. I have had the point cut more than once not have as much flavor as the flat cut. Check the broth 1 hour before the meat is done. It is safe to taste at this point. If it tastes bland and salt-less, do the following. Add salt to taste, and increase garlic and other herbs to taste.

With the vegetables, you can wait an hour or so before adding them, but I think they lend more flavor to the meat if added up front. If you demand cabbage, cook it separately, then add. Try adding chopped green onions, and celery as well. Your choice, have fun experimenting!


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Allergy warning – please read all recipes carefully and be aware of any allergies or sensitivities that may effect your health and well-being