In many Irish American households, Saint Patrick's Day, March 17, is celebrated with a family gathering and a corned beef and cabbage dinner.
Instructions
Rinse the corned beef and put it in a Dutch oven or large pot. Add water to cover by about an inch. Stud the onion with the cloves and add it to the pot with the bay leaves and peppercorns.
Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the meat is fork-tender.
About 30 minutes before the beef is done, ladle out about 2 cups of the cooking liquid into a separate pan. Cook the cabbage in it for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Lift out the corned beef and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice it thinly across the grain.
Serve with the cabbage and a mustard or horseradish sauce.
Nutrition844 estimated calories per serving
Notes
This meal can also be made in a slow cooker: cook the corned beef on low for 8 to 10 hours, adding the cabbage for the last hour.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.
Boil or steam some potatoes to serve on the side, or cook them with the cabbage.
What is corned beef?
Corned beef got its name from the coarse "corns" of salt, as grains of salt were called in Old English, that were rubbed into the meat to preserve it before refrigeration. Today, corned beef is cured in a seasoned brine, which gives it its pink color and unique flavor.
What wine should you serve with corned beef and cabbage?
Being a dish with such an Irish influence, beer, not wine, should be the first choice to go with it.
If it has to be wine, a fruity, medium- to full-bodied red works well with the salty, spiced meat. Try a California Zinfandel, an Australian Shiraz or a Merlot. Although, as we say in Spain, blood pulls, and my favorite would be a Spanish Ribera del Duero, which I am sure would hold its own very well.
Source
Irish American tradition.
Corned beef and cabbage is the Irish American version of the traditional Irish bacon and cabbage. When Irish immigrants came to the United States, they found that some foods, like beef, were more plentiful and cheaper than in Ireland, so their recipes changed.
Food in the USA