Saint Patrick’s Day
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, guys. No corned beef here. Luckily Mom and Dad hooked me up while I was home for Christmas. We did all the holidays in one shot. (Thank you!)
I was trying to explain to Luca what corned beef is all about and came across this recipe from The Virginia House-Wife by Mary Randolph, (1824 – Download the free Ebook here). Apparently corned beef was a big hit in colonial America because it was a cheap and effective way to preserve meat. Here’s Mary’s recipe:
“To corn beef in hot weather
Take a piece of thin brisket or plate, cut out the ribs nicely, rub it on both sides well with two large spoonsful of pounded salt-petre; pour on it a gill (about 4 ounces) of molasses and a quart of salt; rub them both in; put it in a vessel just large enough to hold it, but not tight, for the bloody brine must run off as it makes, or the meat will spoil. Let it be well covered top, bottom, and sides, with the molasses and salt. In four days you may boil it, tied up in a cloth, with the salt, etc. about it: when done, take the skin off nicely, and serve it up. If you have an ice-house or refrigerator, it will be best to keep it there.–A fillet or breast of veal, and a leg or rack of mutton, are excellent done in the same way.”
Mmm. I feel brining meat is always a good thing. Speaking of good things, how about corned beef and cabbage cupcakes. Yeah, pretty sure I’m voting for ol’ Mary’s recipe over this one…
There is also a recipe for corning your own beef in the March issue of Bon Appetit. Doesn’t look too complicated.
Oak corned some beef this year… but we ate it a few days before St. Patty’s. The whole leaving the raw meat in the fridge for 10 days seemed pretty gross to me… it definitely amazed me that it didn’t rot…. Oak would have a periodic “Let’s look at the meat!” session. LOL. Exciting. I don’t know which recipe he used.. I think it was some online one which surprises me, because we get Bon Apetit too! We did use their recipe for cabbage though. It was yummy. It does seem like something that’s pretty easy as long as you’ve got some extra fridge space and a big brisket 😉
Have you tried making any greens?? Collards, mustard greens, etc?? They’re pretty popular in the South, and I’m starting to appreciate them as long as they haven’t been boiled for 10 hours. Plus it’s basically all that’s at the farmer market right now.. haha. We made a mustard green and onion saute type deal tonight out of Everyday Food that was pretty good. I think it helps if you picture the vitamins seeping into your body while eating them! LOL.
I’m impressed with your meat corning!! Way to go, Oak! Greens are big here too, and I suppose I should make them more often. So many of them are bitter, so I tend to avoid the green section. Everyone picks dandelion greens in the late Spring–they just go wherever (not beside the road because they taste like car fumes, but any other random patch of grass will do) and pick! I enjoy this primitive harvesting technique.
I’ll have to check on bon appetit’s website for the corning and cabbage recipes (my first issue hasn’t arrived yet). Thanks for the heads up!
E’ il giorno del mio onomastico : San Patrizio
Ciao
Patrizia
Auguri Patrizia!