corned beef and cabbage

There’s no place like the historic Berghoff Restaurant in downtown Chicago for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with hearty, satisfying corned beef and cabbage. The Berghoff goes through 10,000 pounds of corned beef each month, on average. I can only imagine how much corned beef and cabbage the hungry revelers consume after watching the Dyeing of the Chicago River and the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Corned Beef and Cabbage, courtesy of The Berghoff Restaurant

In a large, heavy pot, place the corned beef, along with any of its brine, plus the garlic and bag of pickling spices. Cover completely with cold water. (Make sure the pot is large enough that corned beef is covered, with 3 to 4 inches of space remaining below the rim.) Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The corned beef is done when an inserted fork come out easily. Remove the meat from the broth and discard the spice bag. Set aside the broth in its pot. Set the meat aside and keep warm.

In the same pot with the broth, add the cabbage wedges, potatoes, and vinegar. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, or until the cabbage and potatoes are tender. If needed, add salt and pepper.

Thinly slice the corned beef, cutting against the grain of meat. Serve in soup plates with cabbage wedges and potatoes, and ladled with broth. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

 

Ingredients:

4 pounds corned beef
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon pickling spices, tied in cheesecloth
cold water, as needed
1 head green cabbage, corned and cut into 8 wedges
16 small whole, unpeeled red potatoes
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
salt and pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, for garnish

 

Number of servings: 8

Cooking time: 3 hours