Corned Beef and Caraway Cabbage

Spring is in the air! This is my favorite time of year: Spring training baseball is on the radio, Mother Nature is providing us with some gorgeous sunny days between all the rain, and one of the most fun celebrations on the calendar is right around the corner.

That's right, St. Patrick's Day is almost here, and whether your entire family is from the Emerald Isle or you're just Irish at heart, St. Patrick's Day is a great excuse to have some friends over to enjoy a pint or two of Irish stout and some corned beef and cabbage. For our recipe, be sure to brine it for as long as recommended. The salt in the brine carries the flavor of our pickling spices used through the whole piece of meat, and the extra spices reserved for the cooking liquid lend it a great burst of flavor on the surface. This St. Patrick's Day be safe, enjoy some delicious corned beef and remember:

"May the lilt of Irish laughter
lighten every load.
May the mist of Irish magic
shorten every road...
And may all your friends remember
all the favors you are owed!"

Ingredients

4-5 pound beef brisket

For the Pickling Spice:

1 tablespoon European Coriander Seed
1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard Seed
3 Turkish Bay Leaf, crumbled
1 tablespoon Jamaican Allspice
1-1/2 tablespoons Black Vietnamese Peppercorn
1 teaspoon Dill Seed
4 Cloves, whole
1/2 teaspoon Pequin or India Red Chile Flake

For the Brine:

1 teaspoon Juniper
1 teaspoon Chopped Ginger
1 teaspoon Green Cardamom Pod
1 gallon water
2 cups Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons Curing Salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Cassia Stick Cinnamon

For the Caraway Cabbage:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 head of cabbage, sliced
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Caraway Seed
1/2 cup Guinness or other stout porter
Salt and Vietnamese Black Peppercorn, to taste

Directions

For the Pickling Spice: Combine all into a small bowl.

For the Brine: In a medium saucepan, boil the water with the spices, salt and sugar, reserving 1 tablespoon of Pickling Spice. Once the water boils, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, place the brisket in a large container and pour the cooled brine over it, being sure it is fully submerged. Refrigerate, covered, for 6-7 days.

To Cook the Corned Beef: Remove the brisket and rinse in cool water. Place brined brisket in a large pot with reserved Pickling Spice and cover with 1 inch of water. Simmer for 4-5 hours, covered, until fork tender.

For the Caraway Cabbage: In a medium sauté pan, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the caraway to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add 1/2 of sliced cabbage and mix well. Allow the mixture to sit a few minutes without stirring so the bottom lightly browns.

Add remaining cabbage and mix well. Allow bottom to brown once again. Deglaze the pan with Guinness and cook until stout is reduced. Season with salt and pepper to taste.