My Problem with Corned Beef and Cabbage

With St. Patrick's Day on the calendar for tomorrow, I thought it would be an opportune time to share the tried and true recipe that I fall back on for Corned Beef and Cabbage. Slow cooker haters be warned: it is made in the crock pot.

I am not exactly a fan of the crock pot. I guess I have a love/hate relationship with it. Love the ease. Hate how textures can suffer and flavors often meld...and not into that happy marriage that mingles on your taste buds...flavors meld into a pot of everything tastes the same.

Corned beef seems to be the right type of meat for crock pot cooking. It benefits from the low and slow process. Several hours of braising in flavorful broth produces tender servings of this cured meat. Most commercially available corned beef briskets come with a seasoning packet of pickling spices. Feel free to add it to the broth, if you wish, but I don't. Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, and caraway seeds spice up the cooking liquid for me.

The vegetables are where this recipe is a problem for me. It is the point where I feel crock pots fail. I have tried to prepare my corned beef without a layer of potatoes, carrots, and onions in the bottom of the casserole, but these roots do add something to the flavor of the cooking liquid. It isn't the same without them, but overall, I don't want to eat them. I like the pickled flavor of a corned beef brisket. I don't want everything on my plate to taste like it, though.

The tender leaves of the cabbage don't need a super long cooking time, and when I finally add them to the simmering stock, I often start prep for alternative side dishes. Mashed potatoes whipped with spinach and bowl of buttered corn vary the textures and offer contrasting flavors for the meal.The potatoes, carrots and onions cooked with the corned beef make it to the serving platter, but not on my plate.

 Corned Beef and Cabbage

2 to 2-1/2 pounds corned beef brisket

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

4 medium potatoes, quartered

4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thirds

1 cup beef broth

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1-2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1 small cabbage, cut into wedges

Trim the fat-cap from the brisket and (if necessary), cut to fit into crock pot.
Arrange onion, carrots, and potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot; place the brisket on top.
Whisk together broth, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, and caraway seeds.
Pour over the corned beef in the crock pot.
Add the bay leaves and garlic cloves to the broth.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
During last hour or so, add the cabbage wedges to the crock pot and cook until tender. (Serves 4)

South Dakota Magazine

So...in case you didn't know, I have been contributing semimonthly at South Dakota Magazine for almost a year. However, in poor blogger form, I have neglected the updates here On My Plate.

Let's do a quick catch-up with a rundown of my columns from last summer and so far this fall...

In June, we had The War for the Strawberries with Ace and I trying in vain to protect my precious berries from the squirrels. We did manage to save enough for Strawberry Mousse.

I also waxed poetically about the beautiful corn crops that later were destroyed by the drought. Thankfully, there was still some sweet corn for Fresh Corn and Radish Salad.

July brought my dilemma regarding what to take to the Antiques Roadshow and a Strawberry Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake.

Later, I cried for cucumbers to be made into Refrigerator Pickles...which led to a friend gifting me with more cucumbers than I knew what to do with in August. I now have refrigerator pickles as well as several other versions canned on my food storage shelves.

Zucchini was loud and proud in August with a rich and creamy Zucchini Alfredo

...AND sweet and delicious Zucchini Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies making the pages of the South Dakota Magazine website.

I whined about the difficulty of finding some ingredients here on the prairie and shared the recipe for the ever spicy Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Skewers in September.

Maintaining that level of heat with the kick of my Basic Salsa for Canning was easy.

I admitted to not really loving crock pot cooking, but making a concession for Chipotle Pork earlier this month. 

And, just this past week, I started looking ahead to the holidays and meal planning with Green Beans in Mushroom Sauce.




There you have it...a round-up of what I have been sharing through South Dakota Magazine. Hopefully, I can be a bit more faithful with updates in the future.

Hustle and Bustle

'Tis the season for hustle and bustle. We rush from store to store, program to pageant, party to party and barely have time to catch our breath in between. We purchase gifts, bake cookies, send off cards, tie bows, hang lights, sing carols, and hope there is a chance for a mug of egg nog at the end.

When is there time for everyday things like dinner? Are you throwing frozen pizzas in the oven, whipping through the drive-thru, and calling a mix of cookies, fudge, and a handful of party mix a balanced meal? How about a home-cooked meal in the midst of the holiday craziness? How about Crock Pot Pepper Steak? Yes. I did just say "crock pot." I will admit that I don't use mine very often, but when I do pull it out of storage, I am always grateful for that warm meal that is ready and waiting to hit the table.

Crock Pot Pepper Steak first hit my radar back when I was planning my infamous suicide attempt Chinese buffet style birthday party for the hubs. I created 3 appetizers, 2 soups, 3 main dishes, egg rolls, steamed and fried rice, sesame green beans, fortune cookies, and cake all in one day and served that same night from my lowly, little home kitchen. For 20+ people. With real plates and flatware. Without a dishwasher. I just about died. Really.

Finding a simple, flavorful, and not mushy or overcooked crock pot recipe for Pepper Steak was a lifesaver for me during the hustle and bustle of that birthday celebration, and with a big thumbs up from Hubs, it has saved me during several other busy times since. This holiday season there might not yet be time to put my feet up, but Crock Pot Pepper Steak does make it easy to put a delicious, home-cooked meal On My Plate.

Crock Pot Pepper Steak

2 pounds boneless round steak

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/8-1/4 red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons flour

2-4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 onions, sliced

1 green pepper, julienned

1 red pepper, julienned

Slice steak into julienned strips.
Season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large skillet. (Make sure it is large enough not to overcrowd the meat...you want it to brown, not steam.)
Add the steak to the hot oil with the garlic and red pepper flakes; saute until lightly browned.
Transfer to a large crock pot.
Combine flour and tomato paste with the beef broth and pour over the steak.
Add the Teriyaki sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar; stir well.
Cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
Reduce heat to LOW; add the onion and peppers; cook for an additional 1 1/2 hours.
Serve over rice. (Serves 4-6)

What a Crock

There are recipes for all kinds of dishes to be prepared in crock pots. Breakfasts of slow-cooked oatmeal; lunches of soup; pot roasts and even the mashed potatoes to serve with them; cobbler like desserts; and just about anything in between can magically simmer in the crock pot while you cut the apron strings to the kitchen and get on with your life. That isn't to say that I believe that everything can/should be prepared in a crock pot. It is kinda like Speedos...just because they are there doesn't mean it's a good thing. A successful crock pot meal requires common sense and most of all attention to your own tastes. Don't like a roast chicken that isn't browned? Don't attempt the crock pot recipe. Want a chili with the blended flavors of chiles, seasoned meat, and beans (for us Northerners) bubbled all day? The crock pot could be your perfect tool.

My crock pot isn't used a lot. Honestly, I am not happy with the texture of many foods after cooking for hours. But, I love the ease of tossing in a few ingredients and not giving dinner a second thought, except to appreciate the aromas drifting through the house. Trial and error has provided a few chosen recipes for the crock pot that I turn back to time and again.

One of those tried and true recipes is a flavorful and spicy method for preparing shredded meat for tacos, enchiladas, sandwiches, nachos, casseroles, and even soups and stews. The original recipe called for beef roasts, and I can attest that it is fabulous. I have also prepared it with lamb and deer roasts with equal success. However, I recently swapped out a few ingredients from the original recipe to create Chipotle Pork. Hubby and I loved it, swooned over it, ate like little piggies and couldn't get enough of it. It is not a crock to have Chipotle Pork On My Plate.

Chipotle Pork

3-5 pounds pork loin roast
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
3-5 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can green chiles
1 (7 ounce) can salsa verde
1-2 cups slice onion
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth

Place roast in crock pot and season with pepper, chili powder and cumin.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Simmer on high for 5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
Shred the meat with a fork and simmer in the sauce on high for additional 10-15 minutes. (Serves 8)
(To make the original Chipotle Beef (or Lamb or Deer) replace the chicken broth with beef broth.)

Resolutions

What other topic could a January 1 blog post have other than resolutions? Many of us make them and break them. Some try harder than others to achieve their goals, and some just can't be bothered. In the past, I honestly wasn't one for making resolutions. I would think about those few pounds I wanted to drop, or the lack of a consistently healthy diet, or my neglect to my treadmill, or those credit card purchases that I probably shouldn't have made, but never really made any New Year's promises to myself.

Last year, I changed that. I made my first real resolution. Surprisingly, given my food obsession, it wasn't about food, or dieting, or even working out in order to be able to eat more food. I decided to better my life by changing the way I was living.

On the surface, my home has usually appeared clean and tidy. However, don't open any door without permission or you might be met with piles that would threaten to avalanche at any moment. Every nook and cranny of my home was filled to capacity, and yet I continued to stuff more into the already crowded drawers, closets, and cupboards. I was becoming my my mother. The pack rat gene had taken hold.

It was time to halt the madness. I resolved to clear one piece of clutter a day. I knew that if I made grand plans, I would fail. I am not a grand plan kind of gal. I take things step by step and see what happens. My anal side does require that I have a plan, but I fly by the seat of my pants to achieve it. I did the same with my clutter. One day's clutter might simply be dealing with the mail as soon as I received it. Toss the junk; file the bills and important stuff. Easy, right? I could do that. The next day, I would have more time and decide that everything from the deep, dark recesses of the front closet had to come out and be sorted. Of course, piling it all on the sofa required that I have my task complete by the time Hubby returned home, or we would have no where to lounge in the evening. I sometimes needed those kinds of incentives to kick myself in the butt. But, I did it all bit by bit, piece by piece, junk by junk, and in some cases, trash by trash.

I am happy to report that I did succeed in keeping last year's resolution. Most of my home is now clutter free. I am not afraid of people peeping into my closets or of asking someone to get something from the pantry for me. The local Thrift Store has been thrilled with my donations while the trash collectors have cussed at the weight of my garbage can, and my home is happier for it. I still have a few spots that need some polishing, and I don't lie to myself that this job will ever be complete. Keeping a clean and tidy home inside and out is work, but I am not afraid. I am resolved to conquer clutter.

This year, I have new resolutions. Again, no food, dieting, or working out is involved (not that those areas of my life don't need a little help now and then). Oddly enough, I found my inspiration imprinted on some of my holiday gift wrap. LIVE JOYFULLY; GIVE GENEROUSLY; BELIEVE COMPLETELY; CELEBRATE LOVINGLY Good, huh? Aspirations that, hopefully, will make me a better person. I have no doubts that this will be harder than conquering clutter. I will need to be aware of myself and the effect of my actions on others. There will probably be times that I would rather clean the inside of a closet than clean the inside of my soul. Still, I am going to give it a go. What's the worst that can happen? I will be bad and know it? Isn't being aware still better than just being bad? ...am I talking in circles and being crazy? Probably. I still hope to live, give, believe, and celebrate to the best of my abilities in 2009.

But now, since my blog is entitled On My Plate, I should probably post a recipe, huh? How about something for those of you that HAVE resolved to improve your diet, drop a few pounds, work out more, be healthier, or eat more veggies? In addition to cleaning drawers and crawl spaces last year, I did manage to drop those ugly extra pounds that I had been carrying around. I searched out some healthy ways to fill my tummy and fuel my food obsession. This Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup is a great light meal or snack that is satisfying, and most importantly, full of flavor. Because, after all, if it doesn't taste good, I don't want it On My Plate.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

10 ounces baby spinach, washed
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
2 leaves bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
Remove bay leaves before serving. (About 8 (1 cup) servings)

Seasons Change

Our weather has been balmy in the 50s and even up to the 60s for the past few days, but today we were reminded that it is actually winter. Temperatures have sunk to the teens with a sharp, cold wind. The seasons have changed. It is the perfect weather for something slow cooked to warm us from the inside out. Not wanting to go out into the chilly air, I searched the freezer and pantry for an idea for our dinner.

I am finding that it isn't just the seasons that have changed. My tastes have, also. Sauerkraut was something that I always turned my nose up to when I was younger. Now, stirred together with some kielbasa and apples to slow cook in the crockpot all day, it seems like comfort food. Serve some buttered egg noodles and steamed green beans on the side, and dinner is a wholesome, warming experience perfect for the changing seasons.

Apple and Sauerkraut Kielbasa

1 pound low-fat kielbasa, cut into chunks
2 medium apples, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 (14 ounce) can sauerkraut
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons spicy mustard

Mix everything into crockpot, adding a bit of water, if necessary.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours.