CORNED BEEF AND ROOT VEGETABLES

 

Ingredients:

Corning Marinade:

5 cups water

1 tablespoon pickling spices

1 cup kosher salt

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Meat and vegetables:

5 pounds beef brisket

5-6 cups Vegetable Stock (recipe follows)

8 small red  boiling or fingerling potatoes, scrubbed

1 celery root, peeled and cut into wedges

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2" lengths

1 pound parsnips, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 bunch beets

Sauce:

Tomato Oil (recipe follows)

Directions:

Five days to 1 week prior to serving day, prepare the marinade.  Combine all the marinade ingredients in a heavy saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and boil for 5 minutes.  Cool to room temperature, strain and pour over the brisket in a flat casserole.  Weight the meat if necessary to assure it is submerged in the liquid.  Cover and refrigerate.

 

The day you wish to serve the brisket, drain and pat dry the meat.  Place in a pot and cover with cool water by 2 inches.  Bring liquid to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 2-1/2 hours, until the meat is tender.

 

Drain off the cooking liquid and replace with vegetable stock, adding water as needed to almost submerge the meat.  Bring this stock to a simmer and add the potatoes, carrots, celery root wedges and parsnips.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.

 

Trim the beet stems and steam them, whole during the last hour that the corned beef is cooking.  Peel them while still warm, quarter or slice and keep warm.

 

Remove meat to a warm platter.  Arrange the root vegetables all around and serve.  Spoon some broth over the meat and on the platter.  Pass more broth at the table vegeta­bles on each serving.

 

Pass cornichons (small, tart French pickles), mustard, and Tomato Oil at the table.

Yield: 8 servings

 

SUN-DRIED TOMATO MUSTARD

Ingredients:

 

8 halves sun-dried tomatoes (1/3 cup chopped pieces)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup diced shallots

1 generous tablespoon minced garlic

2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Directions:

 

Soak the tomato halves in hot water for 15 minutes or until they are soft.  Drain and retain the soaking liquid.  Chop the softened tomatoes.

 

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet.  Sauté the shallots for 1 minute, stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the chopped tomato pieces and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.  Stir in the sun-dried tomato pieces and the soaking liquid.  Cook until liquid has evaporated.

 

Scrape the tomato mixture into a bowl to cool.  Fold in the mustard and season to taste.  Add the parsley just before serving.  Spoon sauce in the center of each serving, or pass at the table.

Yield: 1 cup