New England Boiled Dinner (Corned Beef)

From Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2005. Store the extra vegetable cooking liquid in airtight containers in the freezer, if desired, and use it to flavor soups, sauces, or rice.

• Ready In: 5 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 lbs  cured corned beef brisket, trimmed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1⁄2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 4  whole cloves
• 4  whole allspice
• 4  bay leaves
• 3  cups  thinly sliced carrots (about 1 pound)
• 2 1⁄2 cups  peeled strips  rutabagas (4 x 1/2-inch)
• 2 1⁄4 cups  thinly sliced parsnips
• 1⁄2 cup  frozen pearl onions
• 16  small  red potatoes, halved
• 1  small  head green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges

Directions

1. Place beef in a large Dutch oven. Add black peppercorns, mustard seeds, cloves, allspice, and bay leaves. Cover with water to 2 inches above beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; partially cover, and simmer 2 hours or until beef is tender. Remove beef from pan.
2. Strain cooking liquid through a sieve over a large bowl, reserving cooking liquid; discard solids. Place 1 larve heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag inside each of 2 bowls. Pour reserved cooking liquid into bags; stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bags; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of 1 bag. Drain liquid into pan, stopping before fat layer reahces the opening; discard fat. Repeat procedure with remaining bag.
3. Add beef, carrot, rutabaga, parsnips, onions and potatoes to pan; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Arrange cabbage on top; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
4. Remove beef from pan, and cut across grain into 16 slices. Strain vegetable mixture through a sieve over a large bowl, reserving vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Place 1 cabbage wedge, 1 1/2 cup vegetable mixture and 2 beef slices into each of 8 large soup bowls. Pour 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid over each serving; reserve remaining cooking liquid for another use.