New England Boiled Dinner Recipe
Filed under Beef, Comfort Food, Main Course, Soup, Wheat-free
New England boiled dinner is a one pot dish consisting of corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. How this dish came to be from New England I have no idea; it seems to have more Irish roots with the corned beef and cabbage. This is how my mother makes it. Such a warm comfort for a blustery day!
3 1/2 pounds corned beef brisket (or can also be made with plain beef brisket)
15 peppercorns
8 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
2 medium sized turnips, peeled and quartered
4 red new potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 large carrots, cut into thirds and the thickest pieces quartered lengthwise
1 small head cabbage, cut into fourths
1 Put the brisket in a 5 or 6 quart Dutch oven and cover with an inch of water. If your corned beef brisket does not come already packed in seasoning, add peppercorns, cloves, and a bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a simmer and then cover, lower the heat until it is barely simmering. Keep at a low simmer for four hours or until the meat is tender (a fork goes through easily).
2 Remove the meat and set aside, keeping the meat warm. Add the vegetables to the pot. Check the broth for taste. If it is too salty, add a little more water to taste. Raise the temperature and bring the soup to a high simmer. Cook at a high simmer until done, about 15-30 minutes longer, depending on the size of the cut of your vegetables.
3 Slice the meat in thin slices. Serve in bowls, a few pieces of meat in each, add some of the vegetables and some broth.
Serves 6 to 8. Serve with horseradish or mustard.
Notes:
The corned beef can be pretty salty, so you may want to rinse it first before cooking. We just use the corned beef as is and don't add any more seasoning or salt. If the broth ends up being too salty, you can serve just the meat and vegetables, without the broth, or add water to the broth to dilute it.