Home-Corned Beef Brisket & Cabbage, New England-Style

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked
• 3/4 tablespoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• 4-6 lbs fresh beef brisket, preferrably point cut trimmed of excess fat,rinse & pat dry
• 7-8 lbs prepared vegetables, of your choice

Directions

1. 1

   Mix salt and seasonings in a small bowl.

2. 2

   Spear brisket about 30 times per side with meat fork or metal skewers.

3. 3

   Rub each side evenly with salt mixture; place in a 2-gallon-size zipper-lock bag, forcing out as much air as possible.

4. 4

   Place in a pan large enough to hold it (a jelly-roll pan works well), cover with second or similar sized pan, and weight with two bricks or heavy cans of similar weight.

5. 5

   Refrigerate 5 to 7 days, turning once a day.

6. 6

   Rinse meat and pat dry.

7. 7

   Bring brisket to a boil with water to cover by 1/2 to 1 inch in a large soup kettle or stockpot (at least eight quarts), skimming any scum that rises to surface.

8. 8

   Cover and simmer until skewer inserted in thickest part of briskest slides out with ease, 2 to 3 hours.

9. 9

   Heat oven to 200 degrees F.

10. 10

    Transfer meat to a large platter, ladling about 1 cup cooking liquid over it to keep it moist.

11. 11

    Cover with foil and set in oven.

12. 12

    Add vegetables from category 1 to kettle (see below) and bring to a boil; cover and simmer until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

13. 13

    Add vegetables from category 2 and bring to a boil; cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer.

14. 14

    Meanwhile, remove the meat from oven and cut across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.

15. 15

    Transfer vegetables to meat platter, moisten with additional broth and serve.

16. 16

    VEGETABLES-CATEGORY 1: Carrots-peeled& halved crosswise; thin end halved lengthwise; Rutabagas-peeled& halved crosswise; each half cut into 6 chunks; White turnips-peeled and quartered; New potatoes-scrubbed and left whole.

17. 17

    VEGETABLES-CATEGORY 2: Boiling onions-peeled and left whole; Green cabbage-uncored (small head), blemished leaves removed& cut into 6 to 8 wedges; Parsnips-peeled& halved crosswise; thin ends halved lengthwise, thick end quartered lengthwise; Brussel sprouts-blemished leaves removed, stems trimmed and left whole.