Thread: St. Patricks Day Spread

Ok folks, St. Patty's Day is less than a week away. Next Tuesday, March 17th marks the special day. For those of us planning a special dinner, what do you cook?

The traditional corned beef and cabbage or something different? What are you having and how will you be cooking for this wonderful day?

As an Irish guy myself, I will be purchasing my brisket tonight from the local butcher. I want to do a homemade brine, so I will need to do that rather soon, so it'll be nice and pickled for next Tuesday. My meal plans and pictures will follow....

For the brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole coriander
• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole allspice
• 4 sprigs fresh marjoram
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) brisket
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, halved
• 6 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 head celery including leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 head garlic, halved
• 3 sprigs fresh marjoram
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small cabbage cut into 6 to 8 wedges
• Herbed Root Vegetables, recipe follows

Directions

Combine all the brine ingredients, except the brisket, in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the brisket (you may have to cut it into 2 pieces) and rub the spice mix into the meat. Pour cold water over until the meat is covered. Weight the brisket down with a small plate so that it is completely submerged; cover and refrigerate. The meat can be brined overnight or as long as 10 days. The longer the brining the more pickled the meat.

Heat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, marjoram, and bay leaves and cook until starting to soften, about 10 minutes. Remove the meat from the brine and rinse it well. Set the meat on top of the vegetables and add water to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil skimming any foam that surfaces. Reduce the heat to a simmer, place the lid on the pot, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage pieces, cover, and put it into the oven; cook for 3 hours.

Remove the meat, cover it with foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes. Cut the fat off the corned beef, slice the meat against the grain, and serve it in shallow bowls with the cabbage wedges, some cooking liquid, and the Herbed Root Vegetables.

Herbed Root Vegetables:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound new potatoes, scrubbed
1 pound baby carrots, trimmed and scrubbed
1 pound baby turnips, trimmed and scrubbed
1 pound baby parsnips, trimmed and scrubbed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Herb Butter:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs like thyme, mint, chives, parsley, or chervil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the olive oil and butter into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and toss to coat them well with the fat; season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the Herb Butter by combining the soft butter and herbs together; season with some salt and pepper.

To serve, spread some Herb Butter in the bottom of a bowl. Add the hot vegetables and dot with more Herb Butter. Moisten with some of the cooking liquid and serve.

This is getting interesting. And tempting.

Making me hungry.

I always go for the boil. Corned beef, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. After all, it's the beer that counts! Long live Paddy!!!

I tried to get the brisket at Whole Foods yesterday, but they were sold out! Plus, my local butcher is closed on Wednesdays. I am hoping to get the brisket today.

I found a way to quicken the brine time by piercing the brisket with a knife in several spots. This will allow the brine to penetrate the meat quicker.

Pictures to follow.....

Originally Posted by Bobby

I always go for the boil. Corned beef, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. After all, it's the beer that counts! Long live Paddy!!!

By boil, I hope you mean simmer. Never allow the beef to come to a full boil, or else it will be tough and not nearly as tender as it could be.

By the way, this is the first year that I'm going to use the alternate oven finishing method. Supposidly, this allows for a more flavorful corned beef as opposed to the "boil" method. Can't wait to see the results...

Of course I meant simmer...

Originally Posted by HD MM

...I found a way to quicken the brine time by piercing the brisket with a knife in several spots. This will allow the brine to penetrate the meat quicker...

When I marinade a steak, I start by using a fork to punch many holes into the slice, both sides. (There are better tools made for this, but the result is the same.) The motion is just like pounding it to tenderize it, but instead I'm punching holes into it. Sounds to me what you're trying to accomplish with the brisket and brine is the same thing.

This is a great dish for me as well, but I've never made it myself. Waiting for your full report...!