3/17: Corned Beef, Its What's for Dinner (seriously, and here's how I make it)...

Corned beef and cabbage (slow cooker)

Ingredients:

1 corned beef flat cut, about 4 pounds

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 onion, cut into quarters

1 carton low sodium chicken stock

3 large carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces, washed not peeled (these are not for you!)

4 small red potatoes, washed not peeled (ditto, don’t eat!)

1 green cabbage, cut into eight wedges

1/2 stick butter, cut into cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup sour cream (full fat)

2 tbsp creamed horseradish (or to taste)

*Note: I prefer to cook the corned beef the day before I want to eat it, then refrigerate, slice the next day, and warm up the slices in the buttery chicken stock (from cooking the veggies) with some leftover corned beef cooking liquid thrown in.  This technique gives the fat in the corned beef a chance to resolidify, so when you cut it, you will get nice slices and it won’t break up into bits.  If you do it all on the same day, the corned beef will be delicious, but it will shred a bit.  Using an electric knife to cut the corned beef helps keep it together somewhat.  You are going to freak when you taste the corned beef with the horseradish sauce.  It is amazing!!

Procedure:

The “Slow” Part:

1. Line the cold crock pot with a crock pot liner (you’ll thank me later).  Lay the beef in the bottom of the crock pot.  Drizzle Worcestershire and soy sauce on the beef, sprinkle beef with pepper flakes, arrange onion slices around beef.
2. Reserve ½ cup of the stock and stick in the fridge for later. 
3. Pour remaining chicken stock around the beef (not on top of it – you want to leave the chili flakes on the meat).
4. Set the crock pot to low, put the lid on, and cook for about 8 hours (or until you get home from work).

Ready to Eat:

5. After the meat is cooked, carefully remove it from the crock pot and set it aside to cool for a bit.
6. Place a large pot on the stove, set to medium heat (on your electric stove – if you are using gas, you want a solid simmer, so don’t put the spurs to it).  Add the reserved chicken stock to the pot.  Layer the carrots, then the potatoes, then the cabbage, sprinkling each layer with a little salt and pepper.  (Don’t overdo it – your corned beef is going to be salty enough!)  Dot the top with butter.  Put the lid on the pot, and let the veggies steam and get delicious and soft.  It should take about 30-45 minutes.  The carrots will take the longest to cook, so check those for doneness.  If your cooking liquid dries up too quickly, turn down the heat a bit, and either add some water, or a bit of the cooking liquid from the corned beef.
7. Mix together the sour cream and horseradish.  Note: prepared horseradish is sometimes very spicy, sometimes not so much.  Try 1 tbsp first, then add more if you want a bit more heat.  Don’t be surprised if you have dud horseradish.
8. When the veggies are done, remove from heat, and gently put on a big platter, keeping the veggies separated (because you’re not eating the carrots or potatoes, friend!) 
9. Place the beef on a cutting board, and with either a very sharp knife or an electric knife (Do you have one?  If not, get one!) slice against the grain.  I prefer thin slices.  Lay your corned beef in a casserole dish, spoon some of the buttery chicken stock from the veggies on top, or some of the beef cooking liquid on top. 
10. Serve it up, and enjoy. 

Leftovers are phenomenal (you may not have any, though).  You can make a low-carb corned beef hash for breakfast the next day, just substitute frozen cubed turnips for the potatoes, and serve with sunny side up eggs.  OMG.  So delicious!!