Corned Beef & Cabbage

SP came up for the weekend. I had a brisket and figured I may not see him Tuesday, so I made it Saturday. It was very easy. I used the boil method. I put a 2.25 lb brisket in a large dutch oven and covered it by one inch with water. I then added the enclosed seasoning packet. I also added a few more peppercorns, a whole yellow onion, and a couple of shots of whiskey to the water. I brought it to a boil and then simmered on low for 2 1/2 hours.

For an additional half hour, I added 1/3 inch thick slices of potato, wedges of fresh cabbage and bias-sliced and peeled carrots. When the carrots and potatoes were fork tender, I served it all up, sliced the brisket and slathered some butter over the top of it all.

I also made a homemade Irish Soda Bread. I searched high and low for an authentic recipe, because all the recipes I have are for American soda bread that is sweet or has fruit added to it. This recipe was purely soda, salt, buttermilk and whole wheat flour. It resulted in a very rustic, round loaf that we ate with our dinner and for breakfast on Sunday.

I read online that Irish-Americans (that's me) continue to make this dish on St. Paddy's day because ethnic groups tend to take a snapshot of what their home country was like when they left, and do not take into account the new and evolving culture and tastes of their home countries. In Ireland, this dish is not that popular today, except for in County Cork, where it is often seen on lunch menus. However, during the time when the second wave of Irish came to the U.S. and Canada, about 1850s (1851 for my ancestors), this was a meal to celebrate the end of Lent and the harvest of cabbage. It would have been peasant food for a celebration of spring.

I'm not sure how accurate that history is, but I will say that if it is true, the Irish (Irish National) chef who wrote it, while trying to explain the lack of understanding and connection Irish-Americans have with Ireland, perhaps has a lack of deep understanding of the culture that is Irish-American in the United States. The history of this dish only makes me want to make it and enjoy it more often, in homage to the folks who risked their lives to give us a better chance at life and who, perhaps, romanticized a peasant dish from their past that isn't quite so popular in the real Ireland today.

I have leftovers, so I'm going to make soup this evening.