Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner

Tags

Cabbage, Corned Beef, potatoes, St. Patrick's Day

CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE DINNER  (Traditional St. Patrick’s Day Meal)

Serves 6-8

 

Ingredients (For the brine)
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons whole coriander
1 1/2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoons whole allspice
4 sprigs fresh marjoram
4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) brisket
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, halved
6 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 head celery including leaves, coarsely chopped
1 head garlic, halved
3 sprigs fresh marjoram
2 bay leaves
1 small cabbage cut into 6 to 8 wedges

Herbed Root Vegetables:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound new potatoes, scrubbed
1 pound baby carrots, trimmed and scrubbed
1 pound baby turnips, trimmed and scrubbed
1 pound baby parsnips, trimmed and scrubbed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Herb Butter:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs like thyme, mint, chives, parsley, or chervil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the brine:

1. Combine all the brine ingredients, except the brisket, in a large non-reactive bowl.
2. Add the brisket (you may have to cut it into 2 pieces) and rub the spice mix into the meat.
3. Pour cold water over until the meat is covered. Weight the brisket down with a small plate so that it is completely submerged; cover and refrigerate. The meat can be brined overnight or as long as 10 days. The longer the brining the more pickled the meat.

Cooking

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
3. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, marjoram, and bay leaves and cook until starting to soften, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove the meat from the brine and rinse it well.
5. Set the meat on top of the vegetables and add water to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil skimming any foam that surfaces.
6. Reduce the heat to a simmer, place the lid on the pot, and cook for 15 minutes.
7. Add the cabbage pieces, cover, and put it into the oven; cook for 3 hours.
8. Remove the meat, cover it with foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
9. Cut the fat off the corned beef, slice the meat against the grain, and serve it in shallow bowls with the cabbage wedges, some cooking liquid, and the Herbed Root Vegetables.

Herb Butter:

1. Put the olive oil and butter into a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the vegetables and toss to coat them well with the fat; season with salt and pepper.
3. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil.
4. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the Herb Butter by combining the soft butter and herbs together; season with some salt and pepper.
6. To serve, spread some Herb Butter in the bottom of a bowl.
7. Add the hot vegetables and dot with more Herb Butter.
8. Moisten with some of the cooking liquid and serve.

Crack Potatoes

Tags

casserole, cheese, hash browns, potato, potatoes

CRACK POTATOES

Thanks go to Jim Nadeau of Maine for contributing this recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 – 16 ounce containers sour cream.
• 2 – cups cheddar cheese, shredded.
• 8 – strips bacon, fried crisp, pat dry and chopped into bite sized pieces.
• 2 – packages Ranch Dip mix.
• 1 – 30 ounce bag frozen hash brown potatoes.

Directions

1. Combine sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon and ranch dip in very large mixing bowl.
2. Mix in hash browns.
3. Spread into a greased 9×13 baking dish pan.
4. Cover dish in aluminum foil.
5. Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes.

Jim’s Shepherd’s Pie

Tags

beef, casseroles, corn, potatoes, Shepherd's Pie, side dish

JIM’s SHEPHERD’S PIE

This popular and crowd-pleaser recipe is contributed by family member Jim Nadeau of Maine.  Thanks, Jim!

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds pork sirloin.
• 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin.
• 1 bottle red table wine.
• 1 large onion, chopped.
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• 1 bag frozen corn.
• 2 cups heavy cream.
• 1 bottle white table wine.
• 3 sprigs rosemary.
• 5 russet potatoes.
• 8 ounces cream cheese.
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese.
• 1 stick unsalted butter.
• sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste).

Directions

• Brown then stew 3 lbs cubed pork sirloin and beef sirloin in a bottle of red wine.
• Stew for about 3 hours then uncover and let the wine reduce.
• Sauté a chopped onion with chopped garlic in olive oil till soft.
• Add a large bag of frozen corn, 2 cups heavy cream, a bottle of white wine, and 3 sprigs of rosemary.
• Bring to boil, cook down until the white wine is reduced to nothing and remove the rosemary.
• Take out 1/2 the corn and blend in a blender then return to pan.
• Cook 5 russet potatoes until fork tender.
• Remove to food processor filled with 8 oz pkg cream cheese, cup of shredded parmesan, cup of shredded sharp cheddar, a stick of butter and salt and pepper to taste.
• Blend until potatoes are smooth.
• In a large baking dish, layer the meat mixture, then corn mixture, then potato mixture.
• Bake 30 minutes and devour!

Chicken Vesuvio

Tags

Chicken, dinner, Harry Caray, main course, peas, potatoes, Vesuvio

HARRY CARAY’S CHICKEN VESUVIO

This may be the best tasting chicken dish you’ll ever eat!

Whenever I get to Harry Caray’s in Chicago for dinner, I usually order the Chicken Vesuvio.  His menu offers diners a choice between a cut up whole chicken or chicken breasts.  For this recipe, I’m using the breast of chicken version.

 

 

• Preparation Time: 30 min.
• Cook Time: 45 min.
• Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen peas.
• 4 boneless breasts of chicken.
• 1 cup olive oil.
• 4 medium russet potatoes.
• 5 teaspoons minced garlic.
• 1 teaspoon pepper.
• 1 tablespoon dry oregano.
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic.
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley.
• 1 1/2 cups dry white DRINKING wine.
• 1 1/2 cups canned chicken broth.

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Blanch the peas by putting them in boiling water 1 minute.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters.
• In a large, deep and oven safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the potatoes and garlic and sautee the potatoes until golden brown, stirring so they cook evenly.
• Remove the potatoes and set aside.
• Add the chicken to the skillet and sautee lightly on both sides of each piece until it is golden brown.
• Deglaze the skillet with the wine and reduce by half.
• Return the potatoes to the skillet, seasoning them and the chicken with the salt, pepper, oregano, granulated garlic, and parsley.
• Add the chicken stock and transfer the skillet to the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees.
• Place the chicken on a serving plate and arrange the potatoes around the chicken.
• Ladle desired amount of sauce from the skillet over the chicken and sprinkle the peas on top.

Peas blanched while the chicken and potatoes cook in oil and wine.

Into the oven goes the chicken and potatoes for a 45 minute cook.