Sunday Dinner

My mom would make corned beef and cabbage often for St. Patrick's Day. This isn't actually her recipe, because every time I would call her for the recipe she'd get all vague with her directions and be like, "you know, just stick it in the crockpot..." I did finally find a recipe that tastes as good to me as when she used to make it. I usually serve it with cabbage, but last Sunday we ate it with salad and mashed potatoes instead.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (5 1/2 pound) corned beef brisket
• 2 tablespoons pickling spice
• 1 large orange, sliced in rounds
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 6 tablespoons margarine, divided
• 1 large head cabbage, cored and sliced
• 1 cup Golden Delicious apples, cored and quartered with peel
• 1/4 cup cold water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a 9x13 inch roasting pan with aluminum foil, leaving enough extra extending over the sides to cover and seal in the roast.
2. Rinse the brisket, and pat dry. Rub with pickling spice, and place in the prepared roasting pan. Arrange celery, orange and onion slices on and around the roast. Pour in 1/2 cup of water, and wrap aluminum foil up over the roast tightly, making sure the ends are sealed.
3. Bake for about 4 hours in the preheated oven, or until meat is tender.
4. About 45 minutes before the roasts time is up, heat 3 tablespoons of margarine and 1/4 cup of water in a large pot. Add cabbage and apples, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Occasionally shake the pot so that nothing sticks to the bottom. Serve with remaining margarine and sliced corned beef.

I served it with a creamy horeseradish dressing just like my Dad taught me. Just whip up a little bit of whipping cream and fold in some horseradish.

I have kind of a fun memory attached to this dinner, so I thought it would be fun to record it here.

When Bobby and I had been dating for about six months, my mother came to Ricks to visit for Mother's week. It was the first time she met Bobby. She drove in with Phyllis (Annie's mom) late at night and Bobby came over so I could introduce them. He wore a suit! Just to meet my Mom! He knew how close my mom and I were and he really wanted to make a good impression. She laughed and gave him a big hug. She left on a Sunday, but before they got on the road, she made a big corned beef dinner in this crockpot that my Aunt Edna had sent me. (That's actually a story in and of itself- my mom and dad made a game out of trying to give my Aunt Edna and Uncle Merlin a gift they would actually keep. After my mom gave Edna the crockpot, she called and thanked her and said she thought I should have it and asked for my address in Idaho. My 19-year old roommates and I were perplexed: what the heck were we going to do with a crockpot? My idea of cooking at the time was ramen and mac and cheese. I liked Bobby's suggestion: wouldn't it make a nice home for a potted plant?) The corned beef was a huge hit and then my Mom gave gifts to all my roommates- cute little backpacks from Jack's surf shop in Huntington Beach. My friend emailed me right after my Mom died to tell me she still has it. We spent time with Annie and Phyllis, too. Just like the old days in Faire Marin. It was a great visit.