Saint Patrick’s Day is Here
No sooner had I finished the last post, than I realized talking about a project I had underway was an ideal way to deal with St. Patrick’s Day and lead into discussing ways to use the shopping information I’ve been handing out in the past weeks. As a holiday, this one seems to be fading. There used to be tinted carnations, everyone wore a touch of green, drank green beer and ate corned beef, whether home or out. Perhaps it’s because I’ve moved to a less cosmopolitan area, but I was used to having a choice of several different cuts of beef corned, not just the standard brisket and they were featured in fliers well in advance. Now maybe one market runs an ad, or showcases corned beef that week and it’s all brisket, but the price is right up there with steak.
As I wrote in last year’s posting for this day, I prefer the round either top or bottom, corned. Anyone who has looked at a beef chart will understand. The round coming from the rump is a thick, basically lean muscle, whereas the brisket coming from the belly region is surrounded by and streaked with fat. Obviously this means less waste from the round, and since corned beef requires boiling, and boiling shrinks meat, the round, cooked, will yield more servings than a brisket of the same weight. I also prefer serving and eating it, because there’s less fat to trim away. Traditional chefs may argue with me, but my background is that of running a family, not a restaurant.
Cost, of course, is always a consideration. The brisket is one of the less expensive cuts of beef, but as stated, the corning process and packaging doubles the price of any cut. Add to that the fact that the effects of the culling due to the drought are making themselves felt. Now that the slight surplus it created has been exhausted, beef is skyrocketing. Corned beef and cabbage is no longer a token meal to give nod to the day. It can be a major factor in the week’s food bill.
The solution came from Julia Child. In an article on feeding unexpected guests, she recalled a day when a photo session had run long, and she felt obligated to offer the crew a meal. She was glad that she had corned and boiled a beef that week for sandwiches, and had it to serve them. I was shocked! Corned in one week? I had been sure that took longer, so I looked it up. Sure ‘nough! It can take as little as 3 days, though it’s better a few longer and the process is as simple as mixing the ingredients, all regular pantry items, and adding the meat—not even any heating. Corning your own beef only takes 15mins. more than buying it done, and the room in the refrigerator it would occupy anyway. The recipe is below.
Needless to say this was a saving. I got the round I wanted at less than the same weight a corned brisket cost. I trimmed it well first, and brined it 6 days. I reserved the spices and ½ the liquid to add to the water used to boil it. I was delighted with the results, and this year I’m making a chuck roast I bought at $2.99 per lb. in a featured sale last week. That’s $3.00 lower per pound than the corned briskets were!
I, however, have carried this experiment even further. A friend, who years after a mild heart attack is still convinced beef is the resident culinary evil, always loved it corned. I had a hunch that the corning spices would work with ham. I cut a lobe of solid meat from a shank of ham, rubbed it with the spice mix, minus the salt, sealed it in plastic wrap—no water—and left it to marinate in the refrigerator for a week. Then I covered it with water, adding all the spices from the package, and boiled it, with cabbage and potatoes as is customary. The result was so similar to the real thing that others didn’t detect the difference later in the sandwiches made from leftovers.
This is good news for anyone on a budget. Ham is always cheaper than beef, and has better sales. The one I used in my experiment I bought at $0.99 per pound. After I cut the piece I corned, I baked the rest, and made several more meals. All things considered, I have never had a ham, or really any other cut of meat provide such a variety of menu choices, because they didn’t all taste like the same meat. For anyone buying food for a family these options bear consideration.
Last year I posted several ideas for St Patrick’s Day, including recipes for leftovers. To find them check this blog’s index and click on March 2012. For those short on time, I advised using a crock pot. I included hash recipes, and I’ve since tried some tasty ways to update them
Variation on Corned Beef Hash: This is for all the hash recipes. Replace all or half the potatoes with hominy. Corn can also be used to replace half the amount of potatoes. Put the hash in a casserole, rather than individual ramekins, and cover the top with 2 cups- or sufficient to cover- mashed potatoes and carrots, or turnips or rutabagas. A touch of ginger can be added to the carrot mix, but the others need only salt to taste. Bake 30 degrees for 30 mins.
This solution has the power within to work against the procedures of angiotensin II receptor that has been proven to be working big time viagra buy on ED or Vasculogenic impotence and could be taken for a safe cure of the condition as mentioned. Before seeking herbal remedies for sexual weakness problem, you need to think of different ways to add fun and excitement to your marriage. sildenafil overnight shipping The World’s Strongest Antioxidant is a product made of the magic plant Anti Allergy Pills, it sends a signal to the human behavior this stage is cheap canadian cialis to be neglected from all the ends. I could download the file and that was important for me, I am married and my wife doesn t need to know all what I am doing. unica-web.com cheap cialis Reuben Sandwiches: I’m surprised I forgot to mention this classic sandwich last year. These are served open faced, which my family favors, or closed. You will need:
1 loaf good Deli Jewish Rye Bread
sliced corned beef
Russian dressing
sauerkraut
Swiss cheese
Allow 2 slices bread per portion. For open-faced lightly toast the bread, for closed toast only one side.
Spread a toasted side with the Russian dressing, cover with the meat then the kraut and top with the cheese. The amounts you use are optional. If planning a closed sandwich, fill only half the slices, for open cover all. The open sandwiches can be run under the broiler until he cheese melts, the closed topped with the empty slices, toasted sides in, and broiled or grilled turning once, until both sides are golden. Serve at once.
A Light Lite Dessert:
Lime sherbet
green Crème de Menthe liqueur
Put a scoop of sherbet in each dessert dish. Poke a hole in the center with the handle of a wooden spoon and pour the liqueur in just to fill and slightly overflow. Serve at once.
Corning Directions
