Happy St Patrick's Day/ Corn Beef and Cabbage

Happy St. Patrick's Day... the one day a year where everyone is Irish and the overwhelming sensation to drink Green Bear and get loud strikes at the heart of at least 80% of the American Population.... In addition to this recipe, I have a Sauteed Cabbage recipe under side dishes if you wish to not add the cabbage to the water in the recipe, or like my dear friend Bodhi, your a purist about cabbage and wish not to have that corn beef taste all over it. Also in desserts I have placed 2 recipes, my mom's St. Patty's Day Pudding Cake and my Grandmother Otten's 4 Layer Pistachio Pudding Dessert.


Corn Beef and Cabbage

5pds or more of Corn Beef

Potatoes

Carrots

1 head of Cabbage

1 tsp Pickling Spice*

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 -2 Bay Leaves

Wash meat off, put into a large pot. Cover with cold tap water and bring to a boil. After it comes to a boil, drain the water off and clean the "scum" off of the corn beef. Return the meat to the pot, cover corn beef again with cold water plus 2 inches above it ( your adding rather large vegetables later) Add Pickling Spices, dried mustard and Bay Leaves. bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until it is fork tender. Some years, depending on the corn beef, we have wound up cooking it close to 5 hours!! While the corn beef is cooking, peel your carrots and cut into thirds. The amount of vegetables you use is entirely up to you. I would put at least 2 potatoes per person, and cut up at least 2-3 carrots per person you are serving. Scrub and Rinse the potatoes. Prick with a fork all over so they cook faster. As for the cabbage, cut it into half, and cut the halves into half again (so basically, quartered) do not remove the core. Remove the corn beef from pot, cover tightly with foil. Put the veggies in, cover and simmer for 45 minutes until they are fork tender. If Corn Beef got to cool for you while the vegetables were cooking, add it back into the pot and heat it through.**


* Most corn beef comes with a packet of pickling spice, so you can just use that. If not, add 1 tsp pickling spice, 1/2 tsp dru mustard a per piece of corn beef you are using.. so if you are cooking 4 pieces, use 4 tsp pickling spice, 2 tsp dry mustard ..I would not use more than 2 bay leaves for whatever amount of meat you are cooking.

** The Crock pot Method: Do the first boiling procedures, then toss it into a crock pot with all the vegetables, spices etc.. cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.