It’s a success! You can absolutely “corn” your own beef and end up with a stellar flavor in your finished dish. Speaking of, did you know where the name “corned beef” actually came from? I didn’t. So I did some digging and “corned” actually refers to large “corns of salt” used to preserve the meat. I also found out (and this is the kicker) that corned beef and cabbage really isn’t all that Irish. I know right? I was kind of disappointed when I read that. Just like crab rangoons aren’t that Chinese, corned beef and cabbage is more of an American Irish tradition started in the mid 1800’s. In Ireland, cows were used more for their milk than their meat so pork was actually the meat of choice to accompany the potatoes and cabbage. It wasn’t until Irish immigrants came to America and found beef more plentiful and easier to find that this new tradition began. That being said, anything that’s been around since the mid 1800’s has reached “tradition” status in my book. Heck, I have traditions that have been in place for two years!

Any tradition that ends in me having a great meal is certainly a tradition to continue. I had an engagement shoot followed by a meeting last night so my husband, Kate and her boyfriend Shane finished off the recipe in my absence. And thanks to Kate for the final photos!

Final steps:
Remove and rinse the brisket thoroughly, place in a Dutch oven or other large pot with a lid and add enough water to cover about 2/3 of the meat, and add 2 tablespoons pickling spice (again – more minced garlic and some red pepper for me!)

Bring to a boil, and skim off any foam. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 3 to 4 hours, skimming off foam as necessary.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking, you can add carrots and potatoes to the pot, if you’d like. After you remove all the meat and vegetables from the liquid, throw in a quartered head of cabbage for about 3 to 5 minutes so that it retains some of it’s crunch. No one wants really soggy cabbage.

Take a photo of your handiwork.

I hope that everyone had a festive and merry St. Pat’s! And plenty of green beer.

The corned beef just fell apart. So tender. And my husband Steve cooked the cabbage just right.

Yum! (as Yara would say)

L Photographie St. Louis wedding photographers Liz Sloan and Kate Hayes