Recipe 1:
N. Y. C. Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients: corned beef brisket, peppercorn, cabbage, fresh carrot, fresh parsley, real butter, fresh garlic clove, sweet onion, yellow mustard, N .y. C. Irish Soda Bread.
Instructions: ------------Selecting the corned beef brisket------------. Go to the store several days ahead of time or you will have to pick out the best of what has been picked over again and again. The best will disappear first. Do not freeze. Pick out a nice thick slab checking the sides to make sure it isn't a very gristly one. Feel it because some butchers fold it over hiding the gristle if there is a lot of it. There will always be some gristle and it runs the length of the slab in the center. The thicker the slab the better. If you are lucky you may see some chunk style at a higher price per pound. If there isn't a spice bag in with the brisket you will need to get some whole peppercorns (white and black) and bay leaves. ------------Selecting the Cabbage-------------------. The heavier and more solid it is the better it is. Smell it to make sure it isn't too bitter. You may have to go to another store if the whole batch has a very strong bitter smell. I have had to visit several stores to find a decent batch. Keep in mind that the outer leaves will be discarded even if the store has already removed the natural outer leaves to make them look better and fresher. --------------Selecting the Potatoes----------------. Watch out for the red dyed ones. Pick out a bag of medium to small sized ones. The smaller the better. If you are lucky enough to find the ones as small as salad tomatoes they are the best. -------------Selecting the Carrots----------. Get the smallest bag they have unless you like carrots because you will only use one per pot of cabbage to take any bitterness out of the cabbage. Serving a bowl of carrots is a big no no on Saint Patrick's Day. Preparing and cooking the meal-----------------------. (It's going to take 3 hours with you there). Use a large Dutch oven or stock pot that will hold everything all at once. Place the brisket (best side up) in the bottom of the pot. There's no need to rinse it because nothing bad will survive what you are about to do to it and you will remove the outer marinate. Add the spice packet or a teaspoonful of peppercorns and two bay leaves. Cover the brisket generously with water and a bottle of beer (optional - adds flavor and is a tenderizer). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 2 hours. During the 2 hours------------------------. Scrub and rinse the new red potatoes. Remove any eyes and bad spots. Leave as much of the peel as you can. Quarter them (halve or whole if tiny). Cover with water until ready for them. Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage until the leaves are entirely light green rinse and cut it into quarters through the spine so they stay together. Set aside. Peel one carrot and cut it into quarters. Set aside. Peel the onion and cut it into eighths. Set aside. Rinse the bunch of fresh parsley and chop up just the tops into very tiny pieces. I find that kitchen scissors do just fine. After the 2 hours----------------------. Add the potatoes on top of the brisket. Add water to cover everything. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cabbage on top of the potatoes and add onion and carrot on top of the cabbage. Add water to cover everything. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Check the cabbage to see if it is tender. If not simmer another 5 minutes. You shouldn't undercook it and it's hard to overcook it. When done-----------------------. In a large serving bowl where you can stir the potatoes crush the garlic clove and rub the inside of the bowl with it. Place the potatoes in the bowl while still piping hot and add (at least) a quarter pound of butter and add a handful (more is better than less) of chopped fresh parsley. Gently stir until butter is melted it coats all the potato pieces and the parsley is evenly distributed. Put the rest of the parsley into a tiny serving bowl for those who want to add more to their potatoes. As I said more is better. Slice the brisket cross grain. Hope there is leftovers for breakfast. See my March 18th Breakfast! It's a family tradition. We make sure we make enough to ensure leftovers for breakfast the next morning. Finely chopped fried corned beef and cabbage (the entire meal) and coffee is divine. We throw in any leftover parsley.
Recipe 2:
Fragrant Moroccan Beef, Date, Honey and Prune Tagine - Crock Pot
Ingredients: beef, olive oil, onion, garlic cloves, carrot, canned tomatoes, dates, prunes, honey, cinnamon stick, ras el hanout spice mix, fresh coriander.
Instructions: Par-boil the carrots in boiling water for about 3 -5 minutes. Preheat the electric Tagine or crock pot to High. Heat up half of the olive oil in a large frying pan and quickly brown the onion quarters over a fairly high heat until charred & coloured well. Tip them into the crock pot. Add the chopped garlic & par-boiled carrots to the onions in the crock pot. Make up 1/2 pint of stock with a beef stock cube. Add the honey to the the stock & ALL the dried spices. Tip the honey & spiced stock into the crock pot & mix well. Add the cinnamon stick. Add the tinned tomatoes dates & prunes to the crock pot - mix well. Heat up the remaining olive oil and brown the beef cubes in small batches to sear & seal them. As you finish browning them add the beef to the crock pot. When you have finished browning all the beef give the whole mixture a good stir & season with salt & pepper. Cook on high for between 6 & 10 hours depending on your crock pot's wattage & settings. Serve the beef tagine with fluffy couscous and garnish with the chopped fresh coriander & toasted flaked almonds. It also works well with rice too. P.S. Watch out for the cinnamon stick! We sometimes award the lucky winner of the cinnamon stick with an extra glass of wine! P.P.S. You can use dates & prunes which have not been pitted they do tend to hold their shape better too just warn your guests that they must look out for the stones!