Irish Corned Beef with Vegetables & Horseradish Cream and Guinness Mustard

Wendy and Doug Sinns, a cool couple that I work with, threw an awesome St. Patrick's day party this year. Everything on the tables had beer in it and were so new and delicious to me. Here's one of  my favorite dish:

Irish Corned Beef and Vegetables
(recipe from "bonappetit.com" March 08)

Brine

6 cups water

2 cups lager beer

1.5 cups kosher salt

1 cup golden brown sugar

1/4 cup pickling spices

1 6-8 lb flat-cut beef brisket, trimmed, with some fat remaining

Corned beef and vegetables

1 12oz bottle Guinness Stout

4 bay leaves

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

2 whole allspice

1 dried chile de arbol

12 baby turnips, trimmed, or 3 medium turnips or rutabagas, peeled, quartered

8 unpeeled medium white-skinned potatoes

6 carrots, peeled

4 medium onions

2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into root ends

1 2-lb head of cabbage

Step 1: pour water and beer into large deep roasting pan. Add salt and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Mix in pickling spices. Pierce brisket all over with the tip of a small sharp knife. Submerge brisket in liquid, then top with heavy platter to weigh down. Cover and refrigerate for 4 days.


Step 2: Remove brisket from brine. Stir liquid to blend. Return brisket to brine. Top with heavy platter. Cover. Refrigerate for 4 days. Remove brisket from brine. Rinse with cold running water.

Step 3: Place corned beef in very large wide pot. Add stout and enough water to cover by 1". Wrap cheese cloth around bay leaves, coriander seeds, allspice and chile, enclosing completely and tie with kitchen string to secure. Add spice bag to pot with beef; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until beef is tender for about 2.5 hours. Transfer beef to large baking sheet.

Step 4: Add turnips and all remaining veggies to liquid in pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently until all veggies are tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer veggies to baking sheet with beef. Return beef to pot and rewarm for 5 minutes. Discard spice bag.

Step 5: Cut beef against grain into1/4" thick. Arrange beef and veggies on platter. Serve with Horseradish cream and Guinness Mustard. (see below for recipes)

Horseradish Cream (make about 1.5 cups)

1 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons prepared white horseradish (about 4 oz)
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill pickle
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or green onion tops

- Whisk all ingredients in small bowl to blend. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Guinness Mustard (makes about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup coarse-grained Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons regular Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Guinness stout or other stout or porter
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon golden brown sugar

- Whisk all together in a small bowl to blend. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.