Corned Beef & Cabbage

When our good friends the Hamptons lived up the street, they invited us over for a delicious St. Patrick's Day dinner. I've never cooked an Irish dinner myself, so Anna was gracious enough to share her recipes and this year we enjoyed a yummy dinner with Brandon's parents who were here visiting. 

-Anna Hampton

1 (3 to 4 pound) corned beef, trimmed
3 bay leaves
1 T. whole black peppercorns
1 T. whole mustard seeds
Water
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes (I've used small yellow as well)
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
1 head green cabbage cut into wedges

1.  Add the corned beef, bay leaves, peppercorns, and mustard seeds to a large Dutch oven and cover by 1/2 inch of water.  Bring to a simmer and cook, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface, until a fork slides easily in and out of the center of the meat, 2 to 3 hours.

2.  Heat the oven to 200 degrees.  Transfer the meat to a large baking dish and ladle 1 cup of the cooking liquid over the top.  Cover with foil and keep warm in the oven.

3.  Add the potatoes and carrots to the liquid left in the pot and simmer until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes.  Add the cabbage and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.