Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching, so it is time to head to the Butcher Shop to grab a cured beef brisket for your holiday dinner. Corned beef and cabbage is traditionally an Irish-American meal that originated in NYC. In fact, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was in New York, not Ireland. Across the pond, pork and boiled potatoes is the celebratory meal of choice. In the States, we started using beef and cabbage because they were available and less expensive back in the 1700s.

For many, the smell of boiled beef and cabbage does not evoke fond childhood memories. But, it doesn’t have to be a soggy meal with overcooked vegetables. This recipe is adapted from Ree Drummond’s elevated twist on the classic that will awaken your senses.

Oven Roasted Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Ingredients for the Meat

• 3-4 pound cured beef brisket
• 3 TBS pepper

Ingredients for the Cabbage

• 1 head green cabbage (double recipe if using 2 heads)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 bottle stout, or other dark beer
• 1 cup good balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBS brown sugar

Directions

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the brisket, fat side up, in a baking dish. Pour the brine that comes with The Butcher Shop’s corned beef over the meat and add the  pepper. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and roast the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and roast for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

Check the brisket with a fork to see if it is completely tender. If not, bake for another 30 to 60 minutes. You want it to be really soft. Remove the beef from the oven and place on a cutting board. Tent it with the foil and let it rest.

Meanwhile, combine the balsamic vinegar and the sugar in a pan that is placed over medium to high heat. Bring this to a boil. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and continue cooking the sauce until it reduces to half and is thick in texture. Remove from the heat.

Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Cut the cabbage into 8 equal sections. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium to high heat and brown the cabbage on all sides for about 3 minutes total. Transfer the cabbage to a roasting pan with a rack. Season the cabbage with salt and pepper. Place the pan in the oven and carefully pour the stout into the bottom of the pan. Bake the cabbage for 20 minutes until it has softened and is a deeper brown color.

Slice the rested beef. Serve it on a large platter with the cabbage pieces. Spoon the balsamic sauce over the cabbage.

You can also roast some small Yukon gold potatoes to go with the meal. Serve all of this with grainy mustard on the side. Round out the meal with either soda bread or a savory cornbread.

Let Your Butcher do the Hard Part

Whether you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or not, corned beef can be a seasonal comfort food on a blustery March day. Don’t bother corning your own brisket. It takes a long time. Let your butcher prepare the meat for you. Give the Butcher Shop a call to make sure they can put some aside for your holiday meal. You can pick up your cabbage and potatoes at the shop as well.