Corned Beef and Cabbage - my version of a boiled dinner deconstructed where the corned beef is cooked, topped with an apricot and mustard sauce, then roasted until glazed. Served with Sautéed Cabbage, Roasted Carrots, and Baby Buttered Potatoes. A delicious meal not to be served only on St. Patrick’s Day.Serves 6 - 8
Rinse corned beef well under running water then place in a large pot. I don’t remove fat until after it is cooked.
Add peppercorns, and enough water to cover. If you prefer to use the spice packet instead of the peppercorns, add it to the pot.
Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 3 hours until fork tender. I usually simmer for 1 hour per pound. Cooking time is forgiving but it must be fork tender.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Remove corned beef from pot. Do not discard cooking liquid.
Place corned beef on a baking sheet fat side up. I use a spoon or the back for a knife to remove and discard excess fat. It’s very easy after it is cooked. Make sure it is excess fat and not all fat. You need a little to keep the meat moist.
Spoon a little of the boiling liquid over meat.
Mix apricot preserves, brown sugar, and mustard in a small bowl then spread on top of the corned beef.
Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes until glaze has browned slightly. Transfer onto a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. I spoon some of the boiling liquid over meat after slicing to keep it moist.
Boiled Baby Potatoes with Butter and Parsley:
If the potatoes are tiny, keep them whole. It they are bigger, slice them in half.
Place potatoes in medium saucepan, cover with water, add 2 tablespoons kosher salt.
Boil potatoes for about 15 to 20 minutes until fork tender.
Drain and return to pan. Leave a little bit of water in pan - about a tablespoon or two which will blend with the butter and be your sauce. Add butter to pan and stir until melted. Doesn't matter if you break up potatoes. I find it tastes better if the potatoes are a little broken up as it creates a path for the butter to drizzle over. I use the spoon to cut them in half but that's optional.
Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and the parsley and toss to coat.
Sautéed Cabbage with Onions:
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add oil and onion and sauté onion until translucent. Add the cabbage - don’t worry if it seems like it’s too much. Mix with the onions and oil. This will start to wilt the cabbage and it will fit better in the skillet.
Sprinkle in sugar, add some kosher salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cover, lower heat, and cook until cabbage is softened, about 10 minutes. Optional: Turn up the heat and stir for a minute or two until they get slightly charred.
Roasted carrots:
Preheat oven 400°F. (I use my toaster oven)
Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Place carrots on baking sheet, drizzle olive oil over carrots and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Roast in oven for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring halfway, until they're slightly browned.
Notes
NOTE 1: I cook about 6 - 7 pounds for my family and I cut it in half.As for the serving size, a 4 pound corned beef will feed about 6. My family - the males - tend to eat a lot of meat, therefore, I buy a larger piece. Preparation time was hard for me to calculate as preparing the sides is quite easy. The only preparation time required is chopping the cabbage and onion. The potatoes may or may not have to be sliced in half depending on size, but that takes a few minutes. The carrots take at most a few minutes to prepare.I've boiled the corned beef the day before, placed in a plastic container with enough liquid from the pot to cover keeping it moist and then refrigerate until next day. As long as you reserve enough liquid from the pot to keep the meat moist, you're fine. After baking with the glaze, I spoon some liquid over sliced meat to keep it moist. That liquid is valuable. Don’t waste it.NOTE 2: If you want to omit the preserves that's fine. It takes delicious with the Dijon and brown sugar. If I have the apricot preserves in my pantry I use it. If I don't, I omit it.NOTE 3: SLOW COOKER TO COOK CORNED BEEFYou can cook the corned beef in a slow cooker. Just place it in the slow cooker, cover with water, and cook on high for 8 - 9 hours or on low for 5 - 6. It's ready when a fork can easily pull the meat apart.