Corned Beef with Roasted Carrots
A SAVORY TRADITION.
“Laughter is Brightest where food is best.” Irish Proverb. Here Here!
I couldn’t believe how great this Corned Beef tastes! I’m sorta particular about corned beef. I like it savory, not salty. Tender, not dry. And for Pete’s sake, I’m not Irish! Why should I be so particular about corned beef, right? Touché.
Well guys, besides the many bottles of Guiness we consume here in our beloved country – America – over the St. Patty’s holiday, one of the staples is Corned Beef. Which is, F.Y.I not considered an Irish national dish. Really? Really. Well, according Wikipedia it’s not 😀 So, hey… I believe it! (Yes… I can hear you whimper, “Gosh… Fedra.”)
Okay, since I have to go back to my ‘day job’ in a little bit here guys, I’m including Lisa’s note that shows up on this year (2016) St. Patty’s posts. Yes, if you’ve read it, and you have time to kill, read it again. It’s awesome. Highly recommended.
Happy St. Patty’s Day, people!
From the desk of Lisa K.
Irish food is humble, and beautifully so. It does not come out of an excess of ingredients. It is rather, made of simple and inventive combinations of farm staples. Although simple, it is most certainly festive, and comforting. Potatoes, oats, butter, cream, and… stout. People! Dark, brooding, delicious stout. Yum!
My Irish ancestors fall too far back on my family tree for me to have grown up eating Irish cooking. Yet the heart of it still speaks to me. It tastes of hard work and the comfort of family. I remember my Mother making due — extending food in ingenious and yet festive ways. She would scrub potatoes, so that after they were peeled and served mashed, the skins could be saved and fried to make “chips.” I loved her clever, cheerful resourcefulness. In Irish food, I taste a similar cheerfulness in the face of hardship.
So why try to recreate these wonderful foods in gluten and somewhat dairy free versions? Sounds like a serious contradiction! Simple cuisine really is supposed to be an homage to the ingredients, right?! Well, I hear you. I prefer traditional, authentic ingredients too! But alas and alack, food allergies and sensitivities being what they are, we also — are making due.
Note: Many people who can not tolerate dairy are able to eat butter. Though these recipes are free of other dairy products they call for butter.
- 2 (3-4 pound) corned beef briskets (flat-cut), rinsed, fat trimmed
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ bottle Guinness
- 8 cups water
- 2 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
- 2 celery ribs, rough chopped
- ½ onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- Combine beef, and stock ingredients in a large Dutch oven. Cover and simmer over medium heat until fork tender, 3½ to 4 hours.
- Transfer meat to a baking dish. Strain cooking liquid through a strainer into large bowl, discard solids, and skim fat from liquid. Pour 1 cup cooking liquid over meat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and let rest for 30 minutes. Reserve the additional stock for cooking vegetables, boiling potatoes, etc.
- Transfer beef to carving board and slice against grain into ¼-inch thick slices. Serve warm with extra jus.
- To Make Ahead: Prepare corned beef through step 2. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours. To serve, heat the oven to 350°. Slice the meat against the grain into ¼-inch thick slices and return to a baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the meat is heated through, about 30 minutes.
- 12-15 carrots, peeled
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, minced
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- If the carrots are thick, cut them in half lengthwise; if not, leave whole. Slice the carrots diagonally in 2-inch-thick slices. Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a sheet pan in 1 layer and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until browned and tender.
- Toss the carrots with minced dill or parsley adjust seasoning, and serve.
