Cornbeef and cabbage, is gonna be popular again come March 17 which westerners, specially those of Irish descent like my favorite late night host, Coco, call St. Patrick’s Day. I only thought this celebration involves people wearing green shirts, fancy green hats, and pinning 4 leaf clovers just for luck.

Hmm… So I guess that explains the cabbage part of the cornbeef and cabbage menu. Green, or the cabbage symbolizes prosperity. Now what does the corn beef part mean?

While doing a bit of research on the web, I notice pictures of cornbeef on most of the cornbeef and cabbage menus are far different than what we Pinoys call corned beef. Yeah, their cornbeef looks more like beef fillets and I don’t think they even came from a can like ours.

Anyway, if you feel like celebrating this Irish tradition like you do with Germany’s Oktoberfest, stack up your red horse cases, cause it involves a lot of drinking too, and prepare one of these cornbeef and cabbage recipes we gathered from the web to make it more authentic.

 

Corned Beef and Cabbage with a Twist!

serves 4-6

One 3 ¼ – 3 ½ lb. flat cut corned beef brisket

1 can of beer (any variety – I used Sam Adams)

2 T Dijon mustard

2 T brown sugar

about ¼ tsp. whole peppercorns

Place corned beef in the slow cooker insert. If the meat came with a small seasoning packet of pickle spices, add that. Pour the beer over the meat. Mix the mustard and brown sugar and smear on the top of the meat.

I cooked the corned beef on high for one hour, and then switched it to low for six hours. I turned the meat once during this time. After the six hours on low, I turned it to high and cooked it one and a half hours more.   This took from about 9am to 5pm.

Roasted Veggies:

1 small head of cabbage, cut into small wedges

About 8 or 10 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

5 potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

First steam the cabbage in a vegetable steamer for about 5 minutes or until nearly tender but not mushy.  Remove from the steamer and place on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Add the carrots and potatoes. Toss with a little olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper.

Roast for about 45 minutes, stirring two or three times, until slightly brown and caramelized. Garnish with a bit of fresh parsley or caraway seeds, if desired.

 

Corned Beef and Cabbage Pizza

Yield: 2 large pizzas

1 recipe Perfect Pizza Crust, or store-bought pizza dough (2 crusts)
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups sliced green cabbage
Salt (Kosher salt preferred)
1 teaspoon pickling spices, tied securely in a cheesecloth or paper coffee filter
1 large yellow potato, peeled and thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper
Yellow corn meal
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
6 ounces sliced pre-cooked corned beef
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven.  Place the other rack in the top third of the oven.  Preheat to 500˚F for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, to prepare the toppings, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the cabbage, season with salt and cook until just soft, about 5 minutes.  Pour in enough water to just cover the cabbage then drop in the pickling spices.  Cover and simmer over low heat until the cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes.

While the cabbage is cooking, toss the potato slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Roast in the preheated oven on the top-third rack for 10 – 15 minutes (watching closely to keep them from turning black); set aside to cool.  Drain the cabbage in a strainer or colander and discard spices; set aside.

Form one pizza dough ball into a 12 to 14-inch round on parchment paper, or a pizza peel, scattered with yellow corn meal.  If using the Perfect Pizza Crust, refer to this post for specific instructions.  Brush the dough with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and Monterey jack cheeses on the crust.  Next, layer the cabbage, the corned beef and then the potatoes.  Top with freshly grated Parmesan.  Carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated stone and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and crispy.  Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

 

I’d definitely go for the Cornbeef and Cabbage Pizza cause I don’t like greens that much and I can just cover it with more cheese.

You can find more Cornbeef and Cabbage recipes using the all new Google Recipe Search Engine.

Cornbeef and Cabbage