New England Boiled Dinner

Ingredients

• 4 lb corned beef brisket with spice packet
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 8 small beets, trimmed
• 2 lb small red potatoes
• 1 lb carrots, cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1 lb parsnips, cut into 3-inch lengths
• 2 lb yellow onions, peeled and halved
• 1 head green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Grainy mustard and prepared horseradish for serving

Before you cook

• Rinse the corned beef under cold water to wash off surface brine.
• Trim the beets, leaving an inch of stem so they do not bleed.
• Peel and cut the carrots and parsnips, halve the onions, and cut the cabbage into wedges through the core.

Steps

1. Put the corned beef in a large pot fat side up and cover it with cold water by 2 inches.
2. Add the spice packet, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
3. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat and skim off the gray foam that rises.
4. Lower the heat until the surface barely shivers, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
5. Boil the beets separately in a saucepan of water for 35 to 45 minutes, until a knife slides in easily.
6. Drain the beets, slip off their skins under cold running water, and keep them warm.
7. Test the brisket with a fork; it should slide in with almost no resistance.
8. Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
9. Lay the cabbage wedges on top, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes more, until the cabbage is tender at the core.
10. Lift the brisket onto a carving board and let it rest for 15 minutes.
11. Lift the vegetables out with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a warm platter with the beets.
12. Dot the vegetables with the butter and sprinkle them with parsley.
13. Slice the corned beef across the grain into 1/4-inch slices and lay it over the vegetables.
14. Ladle a little cooking broth over everything and serve with mustard and horseradish.