Comfort Food: Corned Beef & Cabbage

I'm not really much of a rose person.  Don't get me wrong, I love a beautiful rose.  I just can't get into the care that most roses require.  I'm more of a live and let live (or die if you so chose) kind of plant person.  Surprisingly, Mr Lincoln continues to shine with my minimal care program.  Guess it also likes the extra attention it gets from sharing space with edibles. 

And I prefer my flowers attached to a growing plant, not in a vase.

I've got the 2 OGR also coming along.  The Green Rose is in bud, and the Mutablis is recovering from its insect onslaught.

Today we are having Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner.  I have never made Corned Beef.  I bought a preseasoned package at the grocer.  Then hunted down a recipe.  Hmm, need a can of beer.

Dinner

If we do this again, it would be fun to follow this recipe from Alton Brown and make our own brine.

I'm going to use this slow cooker recipe, since I'm also making party food today and mowing the lawn and working on storm clean up and ..... and, and, and

Guess next up is to go pick a cabbage.  Wonder how much it will weigh in at?

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients

• 2 stalks celery, halved
• 4 carrots
• 1 medium onion, cut in 4 wedges
• 4 to 6 red potatoes, quartered
• 1 4-pound corned beef brisket
• 12-ounce bottle stout or dark ale
• 1 tablespoon corned beef spices or pickling spices (or spices that come with the brisket)
• 1 medium head cabbage, cut into 6 wedges

Directions

For serving: grainy mustard and horseradish sauce, recipe below

Place celery, carrots, onion and potatoes in the bottom of a large slow-cooker or crock pot. Rinse the corned beef brisket and place over vegetables. Add the bottle of stout, spices and enough water to just cover the meat. Cover and cook on LOW for eight to nine hours.

Remove the meat and vegetables from the pot and cover with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to high and cook cabbage until softened but still crispy, 20 to 30 minutes.

Slice brisket across the grain, serve with vegetables, mustard and horseradish sauce. Pass extra cooking liquid at the table.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup drained prepared horseradish
• dash hot sauce
• salt and pepper to tast

Whip cream to soft peaks and then fold in sour cream and horseradish, to taste. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of hot sauce.