Corned Beef and Cabbage

As you all know, if you read this blog regularly, I was in Philadelphia for St. Patty’s Day this year.  While it was a traditional St. Patty’s Day with beer and bagpipes, I did not get to enjoy the traditional corned beef and cabbage.  One of my friends, who went to Philadelphia with me that week suggested that we get our own and use her families recipe for the corned beef.  So, last week, while I was in the grocery store, I saw a row of packages of corned beef that were tossed aside, not used, rejects from St. Patty’s Day.  So I bought one of the discounted corned beef’s, brought it home and planned on cooking it.  My schedule got so crazy last week that it didn’t end up happening, so instead I had my friends over last night.

First I boiled the corned beef.  I have a confession to make, I’m a chef and I use google all the time.  I googled how long you should boil a corned beef and I found a site that said 1 hour per pound.  This little baby was around 2 pounds.

While I was boiling the corned beef I made a glaze with 1/2 cup of sugar, a tablespoon of dijon mustard, and some ground cloves.  The recipe called for ground cardamom but I couldn’t find it in the store.  Once I finished boiling the corned beef I took it out and cut some of the fat off the top of it.  Then I lathered it with the glaze, put it in a pan with some aluminum foil on top and then put it in a three hundred and fifty degree oven.

You cook it for 1/2 hour and it comes out all nice and glazed.  While the corned beef was in the oven I cooked potatoes and cabbage in the same pot that I cooked the corned beef in.  Once done I sliced the corned beef, drained the potatoes and corned beef and enjoyed it!  The glaze had saturated the whole corned beef and it was sweet and salty.  

We all sat down in the living room to watch ‘The Voice’ and enjoy our dinner.  Even Zoe snuggled up in a blanket!

Dad’s Corned Beef Brisket

1         Disposal aluminum pan (11 x 9 x 2)

1         Flat cut corned beef brisket (boiled, about 5 lbs)

Vegetable cooking spray

 1/2 cup         Brown Sugar

1 tbsp         Dijon Mustard

1 tsp         Ground Cardamom

1/4 tsp         Ground Cloves

Instructions to glaze fork-tender boiled corned beef brisket.

Lightly coat disposable pan: arrange Corned Beef in disposable pan; whisk Glaze in a small Bowl, brush over Corned Beef; cover pan with aluminum foil. Poke holes in foil with fork.

Set pan on center rack. Bake 30 minutes @ 350º, or until Corned Beef is knife tender. Remove foil until Glaze is caramelized.

Meanwhile, boil Vegetables in salted water.

Slice into thin slices across grain to serve with Vegetables.

Coming soon….a new episode of A Foodie’s Life!

Yep, I’m diligently working on editing a new episode of A Foodie’s Life or you all.  Actually, I will be doing that probably on Monday.  I started briefly a few minutes ago but don’t think I’ll get much done today.  A few nights ago I hosted Bingo at my favorite bar, Rumpy’s Tavern.  It’s where I spend most of my time when I’m not working, they are like family.  I taped the whole thing, or actually one of my friends taped it for me.  It was hysterical!  I cooked some of my pasta alla vodka and we played bingo and laughed the whole time.  I think you are really going to enjoy it!  I had so much fun that I’ve been asked to come back in a few weeks and call Bingo again!

So that’s what is going on right now.  Busy working this weekend but expect some more content on the blog soon!  Have a great weekend!

What I ate Friday and Saturday….I’m old.

So I don’t know what it is lately but my inhibitions have been flying out the window.  I’ve been hanging out at the bar after work with co-workers, having a few drinks and dancing.  Yes, dancing.  A couple of lessons I’ve learned.  When you have a stomach bug you shouldn’t have three drinks the day after your recovery because no matter how early you go to sleep you’ll still feel like crap the next morning.  Next, you should just let yourself go and have fun!  We were dancing to Michael Jackson and people were trying to do the moonwalk, my friend who was bar tending said ‘wait, Ron can do it!’  I took my shoes off, did my best moon walk, I took two break dancing classes when I was like seven, and they all cheered.  Of course then someone else got up and did it and blew me out of the water.  But that one moment of cheering made me feel like a  thousand bucks.  It was probably just one person clapping but whatever!  This all happened Friday night and even though I was in bed by midnight I still couldn’t sleep and was exhausted the next day!

My stomach is much better but still slightly wonky.  I’m still eating pretzels, boiled chicken, chicken soup etc. Yesterday I did make a macaroni and veggie salad with a little balsamic!  Today I’m going to lunch with a friend so we’ll see what happens there!  Make it a great day everyone!