Corned Beef and Cabbage

No, this is not the post I had planned for today either!  That's what I get for planning-ha!  I realized that tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and that I wanted to share my recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage with you, but if you are going to have it ready for the big day, you must start it tonight; therefore, another change in plans.  I have already started my brisket in the crockpot, and I will take pics throughout the next stages and add them to this post as I go, so check back for updates if you'd like.  For those of you that get this via e-mail, I'm sorry that you won't get all of the pictures, but click on the link by St. Patrick's Day and they'll be there!

This recipe is actually my Grandma's, passed down through the generations, and it is the only way I like corned beef because it is not stringy!  It is absolutely worth the time in preparation, and your slow cooker does all of the work for you!  So, tonight before you go to bed, place your corned beef in the crockpot on low and cover with water.  In the morning you will know it is St. Patrick's Day and you will not forget to wear green and be pinched once, unless of course you want to be!

Remove your brisket and let it cool while you finish getting ready for the day.  Chop your cabbage (I add some potatoes and carrots sometimes) and put it in the liquid and add more water if necessary; leave the slow cooker on low.  Don't forget to cover your beautiful roast and place it in the fridge for later or the dog will eat it while you are gone, at least that is what would happen at my house.

Okay, now the very important part, how to cut the meat.  When you get home, all ready for that delicious Irish dinner, turn your slow cooker up to high.  Cut your roast against the grain, again, very important!  This is what keeps it from getting stringy; you will know if you are doing it right because the meat will look sort of compressed instead of pulling apart in pieces.  When your meat is cut and trimmed of the yucky fat, dump it back into the crockpot with the hot veggies while you make the mashed potatoes to put it all on!  Since the pieces of meat are not too big they will heat through in no time flat and you will have your traditional Irish dinner ready for your family in a shake of a lamb's tail.  Did somebody mention lambs?

Sometimes I just crack myself up!

PS  In case you are wondering why I am doing our St. Patrick's Day meal a day early; yes, I am doing it for this post, but also it is to have dinner all ready for the big Caucus tonight!  I love to use my slow cooker on a night when we have a lot going, and politics is big in a small town.