Recipe: Corned Beef and Cabbage with Watercress-Horseradish Mayonnaise

It would be far better to overcook the beef than undercook it; undercooked brisket is tough. If there's enough space in the pot, I add potatoes and carrots, in addition to the cabbage timed within the last hour of cooking. If not, I cook everything in stages. First I cook the corned beef with the spices to tender perfection, and then I cook the potatoes and vegetables in the brewing liquid.

Yield: 4 servings? 

Active Time: 15 minutes?
Simmer Time: 2-3 hours

Ingredients

• 1, 2-3 pound corned beef brisket
• 1, 12 ounce bottle of your favorite beer (optional)
• 1-2 tablespoons pickling spices (often included in corned beef packaging) or 4 whole allspice berries
• 1 small onion, halved
• 6 black peppercorns
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces, optional
• 8 redskin (new) potatoes, optional
• 1 small head cabbage, cut into 4 wedges leaving stem a part of wedge

Ingredients for Savory Corned Beef mayonnaise (optional)

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1-2 tablespoons horseradish
• 1 cup loosely packed watercress, washed and finely chopped, plus extra sprigs for garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Place beef in a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add beer, if using, and enough cold water to just cover beef. Add pickling spices, peppercorns, onion and garlic.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pan tightly with foil and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer one hour for each pound of beef, turning beef halfway through cooking time. Beef is ready when a sharp knife tip can easily slide through the thickest part of beef. Transfer to a warm platter and tent with foil to retain heat.?
3. Skim fat from broth and add whole redskins and carrots, if using, to broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes. Add cabbage wedges to broth, bring to a boil with the potatoes and carrots, reduce heat and simmer, covered, an additional 15 minutes or until cabbage, potatoes and carrots are tender.?
4. To make the savory mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon of horseradish, mustard and parsley, adding additional horseradish to taste. Serve with corned beef and cabbage.

This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on March 17, 2011.