Why Corned Beef & Cabbage?
“There are only two kinds of people in the world,” the Irish saying goes. “The Irish and those who wish they were.” But for 24 hours on a mid-March day, the second half of that saying is blarney! On St. Patrick’s Day, we’re all Irish.
Ever wonder how eating corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day became a tradition?
While there is no dispute that cabbage and potatoes are staples of the Irish diet, it’s been said the vegetables were eaten with Irish bacon, not beef. But apparently Irish immigrants in America couldn’t afford bacon and switched to the cheaper corned-beef brisket, readily available at kosher delis. Others don’t accept this idea, saying the Irish settled in U.S. cities full of German and Polish butchers. Salt-brined beef was a major Irish export for hundreds of years, as well.
Either way, after the bagpipes are heard and parades are watched, on this St. Patrick’s Day millions of people will dress in green, raise a pint and sit down to what they consider the quintessential traditional Irish meal, corned beef and cabbage. Enjoy this recipe!
Corned Beef & Cabbage with Herb Sesame Mustard
10 cups water
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp TSTE Yellow Mustard
3 Tbsp TSTE Pickling Spice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh beef brisket, 7 to 9 pounds
3 ribs celery, cut in 2-inch pieces
2 large onions, cut in wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 medium red potatoes, halved
5 carrots, cut into thirds
2 small rutabagas or 1 medium rutabaga, cut in 2-inch chunks
1 head of cabbage, cut in 6 or 8 wedges
Combine water, salt, sugar, mustard, Pickling Spice, and garlic in an 8-quart nonreactive stock pot. Boil. Remove from heat and set aside. When cooled, trim excess fat from corned beef and put into the liquid. You may need to transfer liquids and corned beef to a larger container or bowl (be sure it is nonreactive). Add cold water to cover beef, if necessary. Use a heavy pottery bowl to weigh corned beef down so it stays submerged in water. Cover pan and refrigerate for 5-7 days. Take out once a day to stir lightly & turn beef as needed. On the 6th or 7th day, remove beef from brine and rinse well with cold water. Place in a large (8-quart or larger) pot. Cover with cold water and add celery, onions, and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Bring to boil; skim off any residue which develops on surface. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover & simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
Uncover pot and add potatoes, carrots, rutabaga or turnip, and cabbage. An 8-quart pot should be large enough, but if you don’t have room for all of the vegetables, bring another pot of water to a boil, add 1 TBSP salt, and add cabbage or other vegetables which didn’t fit.
Cover the large pot and cook until meat and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour longer. If cooking vegetables in another pot, cook just until tender and keep warm.
Herb Sesame Mustard:
1 cup prepared mustard
2 Tablespoons TSTE Herb Sesame Blend (or to taste)
Combine yellow mustard and Herb Sesame Blend, then chill. Serve as an accompaniment to corned beef dinner or sandwiches.
Recipe from Jeffrey & Bryan from TSTE Winter Park.





















