Corn Beef and Cabbage

It's that time again. When everyone starts wearing green and t-shirts that say "Kiss me... I'm Irish". Is that really all it takes to get a kiss? I'm Irish so lay it on me? 

Interesting concept huh? Maybe that's why everyone pretends to be Irish this time of year. 

Well, I don't have to pretend, I'm at least 1/8 Irish or something, but with my red hair most people don't question me.

Which leads me to this recipe... How have I lived on this planet for 30 years and never made Corned Beef and Cabbage? It seems like a 'wrong' against humanity doesn't it?  Especially with how good cabbage is for us!

In order to right my wrongs, I have embarked on finding and creating the most delicious Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe in the known world. And after eating this last night for dinner... I think I just may have done that!

I don't want to get a big head or anything, but the smells that were coming out of my crock pot transported me to the rolling hills of Ireland. I've never actually been there, but I have a really good imagination...

There are a ton of recipes for this on the internet, in books, in magazines, but I looked through as many as possible and took the best ideas from each and combined them into this recipe. So dare I say this is the Best Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe out there?

Plus it's loaded with protein and fiber and cabbage is loaded with health benefits that I talk all about in my Mental Health Benefit at the bottom!

Well, why don't you try it and see for yourself!

Happy St. Patrick's Day and don't forget to make it with the delicious Brown Irish Bread Recipe. Just like Mum used to make!

The Best Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

4 Large Carrots; Diced
1 1/2 White Onion; Diced

2 tsp. Minced Garlic

1 (12 ounce) Can Light Beer 

1 cup Water

3 1/2 Pounds Corned Beef

2 tbsp. Yellow Mustard

1 tsp. Horseradish

1 Corned Beef Spice Packet

1 Head Cabbage; Chopped

1.  Peel and chop your carrots. 

 2. Then peel and mince your onion too. Add those both to your crock pot and turn to Low.

3. Now I cheated with my garlic. I didn't have any fresh garlic in the house (I know my bad!) so I used the jarred minced kind. Do you ever do this? Please say yes and make me feel okay about it... Okay? Alright now dip your teaspoon in the jar and add two heapers to the crock pot.

4.  Now open a can of beer. You know you have one in the fridge. Take a swig, just for quality control purposes of course. Then pour the rest over the chopped vegetables. Then smash the can and feel really macho about yourself... Then add a cup of water for good measure.

5. In a small bowl combine the yellow mustard, horseradish, and the spice packet that came with your corned beef. Mix it all together with a fork.

6. Now get your huge hunka Corned Beef and just gaze at it lovingly. This is part of the process... I promise. Okay now slather (that is a technical cooking term) the mustard mixture over the top of it and then plop it on top of the simmering vegetables. Cover the crock pot and walk away for about 4-5 hours. Keep the crock pot on low and just enjoy the smells that begin to permeate everything in your house. (I walked in and out the front door a lot just to have that first burst of yumminess when I walked in... Try it! It's kind of fun!)

7. Now after 4-5 hours the liquid should be more than when you started and it should be simmering around your hunka meat. Mince up your head of cabbage and take the meat out of the crock pot, just for a minute. Add your chopped cabbage to the bottom of your crock pot and then add the hunka meat back on top. Cover and allow to simmer for another 3 hours. 
Note: If you are going to be at work and can't do this in the middle, I would suggest adding the cabbage for the last hour or so and turn the heat up to high. It will be just as good! 

8. Slice the meat thin and and serve on a bed of the cabbage and don't forget a nice slice of the Irish Brown Bread to soak up the juices! (Recipe coming soon!) 

It is a hearty and delicious meal! 

Servings: 14 servings (1/4 pound of meat apiece) 

Nutritional Skinny:

153 calories / 6 g fat / 6.3 g carbohydrates / 2.7 g fiber / 16.1 g protein

Mental Health Benefit: Let's talk a little bit about cabbage. It is one of those amazing wonder foods. A head of cabbage holds about 23 grams of fiber! That is enormous for such a water saturated vegetable! Not to mention that other health benefits of cabbage include treatment of constipation, stomach ulcers, headache, excess weight, skin disorders, eczema, jaundice, scurvy, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, eye disorders, heart diseases, aging, and Alzheimer's disease. Plus it's loaded with Vitamin C, Iodine, and Sulfur... all which help promote fighting infections, better brain functioning, and the Vitamin E it packs helps us keep our hair, skin, and nails healthy!

So let's get to eating our cabbage!