Corned Beef and Cabbage

Happy St. Patty's Day to Yah!

This is just a bit of a twist to a dish a few of us enjoy but once a year.

You know that little packet of herbs/spices that comes wuith your corned beef brisket? Truth is, you don't need to use it. Sure its 'traditional,' at least in this country for the past umpteen years, but you can experiment a bit.

Here's a few suggestions to change-up this meal a bit:

Try different herbs and spices:I've used the following, but you can try anything.

Indian Spices: put in what you like -- ground coriander, cumin, tumeric, cinnamon (this gave it a nice flavor! Just a hint), cardamon, etc.

French: Just made some with Bouquet Garni which if you add the cabbage and potatoes to the brisket a half hour or so before the end, helps additionally flavor them.

Haven't tried it yet but Cajun spices; Thai spices; etc, might be fun as well.

HINT: don't add salt -- there's plenty in that corned beef.

Another hint: want a tender, not much effort in the kitchen, corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage? Try that slow cooker you probably haven't dredged out in several years:

Cover the brisket with water; add spices of your choice; start on high for a couple of hours; then down to low for rest of day; or if your cooker is like mine and cooks to hot on low -- after a few more hours turn it to warm until ready to add potatoes. Add the spuds about an hour before serving,and crank heat back up to low (or high depending on your cooker); then add the cabbage a half hour before. [NOTE: vary time depending on how you like your cabbage -- I tend to like 'southern' cabbage, which is overly cooked and soft. The one vegetable that I think does well cooking it past respectability.]

Spoon out vegies and slice brisket -- ENJOY!