Irish Corned Beef and Vegetables with Dill Pickle-Horseradish Cream and Guinness-Mustard Sauce

Family Meal, Fit for Company, Great Leftovers

SERVES: 6, with plenty of leftovers

Using a little beer to boil corned beef provides a pleasant malty flavor. Choose a dark beer, such as Guinness or other stout or, for a hint of sweetness, try a porter. Dark German beer, called Dunkel, is also good. Don’t throw away the stock: Save it for a cabbage or other winter vegetable soup. I use a whole corned beef brisket, which includes both the fattier point cut and the lean first cut.

INGREDIENTS:

IRISH CORNED BEEF

• 1 6- to 8-pound whole corned beef brisket, homemade or store-bought
• 1 12-ounce bottle Guinness or other stout, porter, or dark German beer
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 dried chile, such as cayenne
• 2 allspice berries
• 8 medium boiling potatoes, scrubbed
• 4 medium onions, halved through the roots
• 6 small turnips, peeled and halved, or 2 medium rutabagas, peeled and quartered
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 6 medium carrots, peeled
• 1 2-pound green cabbage, cored and quartered

DILL PICKLE-HORSERADISH CREAM

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or scallion greens
• 6 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill pickle

GUINNESS-MUSTARD SAUCE

• ½ cup coarse-grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons Guinness or other stout
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

INSTRUCTIONS:

IRISH CORNED BEEF

1.  Place the corned beef in a Dutch oven. Pour in the beer and enough water to cover the meat by 1 to 2 inches. Wrap the coriander seeds, bay leaves, chile, and allspice in a square of cheesecloth, tie with butcher’s twine, and throw the spices into the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 2 hours. Check the beef by inserting a knife into the thickest part. If it shows no resistance, the meat is tender. To make sure, cut off a bit and taste it. If it is not tender, continue to cook, checking every 30 minutes. Remove the beef from the pot and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
2.  Add the potatoes, onions, turnips, parsnips, carrots, and cabbage to the pot, cover, and cook at a slow boil for 20 minutes, or until tender. Return the beef to the pot to rewarm for 2 to 3 minutes. Discard the spice bag. Cut the meat across the grain into ¼-inch-thick slices and arrange on a platter with the vegetables. Serve with the Dill Pickle-Horseradish Cream and Guinness-Mustard Sauce.

DILL PICKLE-HORSERADISH CREAM

1. Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

GUINNESS-MUSTARD SAUCE

1. Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 days.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS

• If you can’t find a whole corned beef, use two first-cut pieces for a total of 6 to 8 pounds. Also try this with home-cured bison or Petit Salé Pork.

COOK’S NOTES

• The horseradish cream is also great with roast veal, baked ham, boiled beef, and tongue.
• Use the mustard sauce for corned beef sandwiches, such as my Toasted Corned Beef and Fontina Sandwiches.

LEFTOVERS

• Use in Hash Cakes with Poached Eggs.
• Also great in Reuben-type sandwiches.