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St. Patrick's Day is this Wednesday. If you're like me (by
the way, despite the Duffy name, I am 'Irish' only by
marriage!) you save that corned beef & cabbage dinner for
this one special day a year. After a year, I always forget
how to cook it, but I always go back to my favorite recipe -
New England style with extra vegetables (you could add more
veggies if you'd like, such as turnips and parsnips) -- that
never fails to get rave reviews from my real Irish husband.
New England Boiled Dinner
Adapted from "The Nine Seasons Cookbook" by Pat Haley
Cover the beef with cold water and let stand for 30 minutes
to draw out the excess salt. Remove beef and discard the
water. Place the beef in a large pot and cover with fresh
cold water. Add the basil, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a
boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Skim the fat from the
surface as necessary.*** Cook gently for 3-4 hours until the
beef is fork-tender.
About 30 minutes before serving, add all the vegetables,
except the cabbage. Add the cabbage 15 minutes before
serving. Turn up the heat when adding the vegetables so that
the broth is boiling. Turn down the heat to a simmer once
broth boils. To serve, place the beef on a large platter and
surround with the vegetables. Traditional accompaniments to
a boiled dinner are pickled beets, mustard pickles and corn
bread.
***NOW, FOR SOME OLD FASHIONED ADVICE...
Here's advice on boiling meats from the 1845 cookbook by
Esther Allen Howard entitled: "The New England Economic
Housekeeper":
"(Boiling meats) is the most simple of culinary processes
(but is not often) performed in perfection. It does not
require so much nicety and attention as roasting. To skim
the pot well and keep it really boiling (the slower the
better) all the while - and take it up at the critical moment
when it is done enough, comprehends the whole art and
mystery. This, however, demands a patient and perpetual
vigilance, of which few persons are capable."
("If Esther has not put you off & made you feel not up to
the task of making a simple corned beef dinner = read on".)
"when the pot is coming to a boil, there will always, from
the cleanest of meats and the cleanest of water, rise a scum
to the top of it. Proceeding partly from the water; this
must be carefully taken off as soon as it rises - the oftener
it is skimmed and the cleaner the top of the water is kept
the sweeter the meat."
(Sounds unappetizing, but it's good advice!)
Many thanks to the Historic Cookbook Project, which makes
available many very interesting (and amusing) old cookbooks
on the web at http://digital.lib.msu.edu/cookbooks/index.cfm
About The Author: Marcia Passos Duffy is a freelance writer and the publisher
and editor of The Heart of New England online magazine
and e-newsletter, which celebrate the unique character of
Northern New England. Original stories written by
New Englanders on food, travel, gardening, the arts and
more. Visit our free online magazine at
www.TheHeartofNewEngland.com and subscribe to our
companion newsletter by sending a blank e-mail to:
heartofnewengland-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, for recipes,
bed & breakfast specials and more!
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