Corned Beef and Cabbage

Of course, my idea of corned beef and cabbage isn't at all like the traditional St Patrick's dinner; I believe corned beef should only be eaten on rye bread with mustard, or, occasionally, with Russian dressing and sauerkraut.

Good rye bread is paramount. I'll never again have the delicious Levin's rye from my youth, but home-baked comes pretty close. Might even surpass it.

I bought my first-ever corned beef and braised it according to package directions. It was a bit bland, not to mention too lean, so next time I'll try the corning process myself on a fattier chunk of brisket.

In any case, it was pretty good on the rye with lashings of yellow mustard. (I find that other types of mustard can be too acidic and overwhelm the delicate taste of the meat.)

As for the "cabbage" part of the equation, how about a nice big helping of potatoes and chopped Brussels sprouts? You can call it "bubble and squeak" if you'd like; I just call it delicious.

"Cabbage"

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups yukon gold or other waxy potato, cut into rough dice
3 tablespoons water
1 pint Brussels sprouts, stem end trimmed, outer leaves removed, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet, add oil and onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion softens and edges begin to brown slightly, 10 minutes. Toss in potatoes and stir to combine. Cover pan and cook potatoes, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes until they start to soften. To speed up the process a bit, add the water to steam the potatoes. When potatoes are fork tender, add Brussels sprouts and stir. When Brussels sprouts have turned bright green, mash the mixture in the pan down a bit with the back of a spatula and turn up the heat. After 2-3 minutes, turn everything over and press down again to brown the other side. Taste for seasoning and serve hot.

Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.