18th
Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day is as much of a tradition in my family as dduk gook on New Year’s Day. I’ve been lusting after a slow cooker for quite some time, and now I finally had an excuse to buy one (NIB off Craigslist!). The recipe I used was a combination of this Guinness one and this regular one. I bought a Freirich corned beef from the store, and it didn’t contain a seasoning packet. They claim that their corned beef doesn’t need one, but I found that the beef needed a little salt. But, the meat was so unbelievably tender! I would definitely try this recipe again with more salt and with whole peppercorns.
Slow cooker corned beef is pretty simple, but here are some tips that I’ve learned from my first experience:
1. Place the meat into the cooker first. Pour in just enough liquid to cover the meat. IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that when you put in the vegetables, your meat will be weighed down. Underestimate on the amount of liquid you need; you can always add in more before you turn on the cooker. I put in way too much and had to take out a cup later to prevent overflow.
2. However tempted you are, do not lift the lid! Every time you lift the lid, you are losing 20 minutes of cook time.
3. Cook the cabbage at the end. After everything else was done, I had to take out the veggies to make room for the cabbage. I turned the cooker up to high and cooked the cabbage for 30-40 min. Perfect.
