Corned Beef and Cabbage in Guinness

The Irish butcher at my market gave me a new (to me anyway) recipe for corned beef & cabbage; he told me to cook it in Guinness Draught. (Guinness stout will make the dish bitter). Since everyone raved about it, I thought I'd share the recipe he gave me. Note: Some reviewers have mentioned that the broth/sauce is very salty. It is important to rinse your corned beef in cold water before cooking it to remove some of the excess salt from the corning process. (I usually soak mine in cold water for a bit depending on the brand - some are much saltier than others). --- I have tried 5 times today to change the wording of the last ingredient on the list from "1-2lbs carrot, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces" to "1 - 2 pounds of carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces". Every time the change "goes through," it does not reflect the new wording. Grrrrrrr!

• Ready In: 3 hrs 50 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 4  lbs  flat cut corned beef brisket
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle  Guinness draught (make sure you use Guinness draught, not stout as it will turn it bitter!)
• 1  medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  bay leaf
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄8-1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves (to taste)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1  head cabbage, cut into wedges, rinsed and drained
• 6  medium white potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 -2  lb carrot, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces

Directions

1. Rinse corned beef under cold water, and pat dry.
2. In a Dutch oven, or other large pot with a cover, brown corned beef well on all sides over high heat.
3. Pour Guinness over the meat, and add enough water to just cover the brisket.
4. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and pepper to the pot.
5. Bring pot to a boil and skim off any foam.
6. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 3 hours.
7. Add carrots, then potatoes and then the cabbage wedges to the pot.
8. Cover pot, and continue cooking until meat and vegetables are tender (about 20-30 minutes).
9. Remove meat and vegetables to warm serving platter/dishes, leaving the cooking liquid/sauce in the pot.
10. Over high heat, bring the cooking liquid to a boil, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half (about 10 minutes).
11. Slice the corned beef; serve with the vegetables and the sauce on the side.
12. Note: Corned beef should always be sliced across the grain.