Dublin Sunday Corned Beef & Cabbage

This is the real deal. Not the St. Patrick’s Day shortcut, but the proper Dublin Sunday dinner that feeds a family of eight and fills the house with that unmistakable smell of simmering brisket and warm spices.

A five-pound corned beef goes into cold water with a clove-studded onion, carrots, potatoes, thyme, and a bunch of fresh parsley. Three hours of low simmering turns the beef fork-tender while the vegetables soak up all that salty, beefy broth. Cabbage quarters go in for the final 20 minutes, just long enough to soften without losing their bite.

Pile it all on a big platter, grind black pepper generously over the cabbage, and pass the whipped horseradish cream on the side.

Kitchen Tips

• Start the beef in cold water, not boiling. A cold start draws out excess salt gradually and gives you a cleaner-tasting broth.
• Skim the fat and foam that rises during the first 30 minutes. This keeps the broth clear and the flavor clean.
• Don’t overcook the cabbage. Twenty minutes in the simmering broth is plenty. Mushy cabbage is nobody’s friend.
• The horseradish cream is dead simple: whip heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold in prepared horseradish. Make it right before serving so it holds its shape.