Traditional Irish Dinner

Happy St. Patrick's Day! As always, I will be cooking a traditional Irish dinner tonight to mark the occasion, and I thought I would share the recipe with you guys in case you wanted to follow suit. On tonight's menu:

Trav's Corned Beef & Cabbage

1, 5-lb. corned beef brisket
1 t. dry mustard
2 t. salt
2 T. brown sugar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 T. sweet pickling spice
1 T. whole peppercorns
6 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 T. fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 T. dried)
36-48 oz. dark beer (the cheap stuff)
2 large onions, quartered
2 cups baby carrots
1 large head of cabbage, cut into quarters
1 large turnip, chopped (optional)
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. flour
1/2 C. cold water


Wash the corned brisket under cold water, pat dry. Score both sides of the brisket by making 1/4" deep cuts in a crisscross pattern, about a half-inch apart, and trim off excess fat from both sides. Rub both sides of the brisket with brown sugar, and place on a rack in the bottom of a dutch oven.

Make a garni bag for the spices: combine the dry mustard, garlic, pickling spice, peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley, and cloves (and any seaoning packet that might have come with the brisket, if desired). Pour the spices onto a 6" square piece of cheesecloth, and tie into a bundle with string. Set aside.

Add enough beer to the dutch oven to completely cover the brisket. Add the garni bag, and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, adding more beer as required to keep the brisket covered. (Tip: place a large glass bowl filled with potatoes or water in the dutch oven, on top of the brisket. It will weigh the brisket down and keep it submerged in the beer.)

When the brisket is almost fork-tender, add the onions, carrots, and cabbage (and turnip, if you like). Cover tightly, and allow the vegetables to boil/steam in the dutch oven. When all is tender, remove from heat. Arrange the cabbage and vegetables on the bottom of a deep-dish serving platter, and discard the garni bag. Slice the brisket thinly against the grain, and lay the slices over the vegetables.

Making the gravy:
Measure out 4 cups of broth from the pot, and discard the rest. Bring the broth to a full rolling boil. Mix the cornstarch and flour with the cold water, and wisk rapidly into the boiling broth. As it boils, the gravy will thicken quickly...add a little bit of beer if it becomes too thick, and add a little more flour if it becomes too thin. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the hot gravy over the slices of brisket, and garnish with fresh parsley springs. Serve immediately with hot bread and a medium-dark beer (such as Harp or Smithwick's). Feeds a half-dozen people.