St. Patrick’s Day braised corned beef

Traditionally, corned beef is served with cabbage, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This recipe will take care of both and leave you more time for enjoying fine Irish drinkables.

Ingredients

3-pound point cut corned beef brisket, rinsed well

1 gallon water

5 allspice berries

2 bay leaves

4 whole cloves

3 cloves garlic, crushed

½ head cabbage, cut into wedges (about 2 pounds)

2 pounds new potatoes, washed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300° F.

In large Dutch oven (which may be renamed an Irish oven just for today), place the corned beef, water, allspice, bay leaves, cloves and garlic. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and use a spider or skimmer to skim off any brown scum on top.

Put lid on pot tightly and transfer to the oven. Braise until tender (approx. 3 ½ hours).

Remove pot from oven and corned beef from pot. Cover meat with foil to keep warm. Add cabbage and potatoes to pot and bring back to a boil on stovetop. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20-25 minutes.