On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 15:33:26 -0500, Sheryl Rosen
> wrote:

>Ginny Sher at wrote on 3/12/05 1:31 PM:
>>>
>> What I was thinking of preparing is "corned beef and cabbage". I
>> really don't know anything about "corning beef" and I gather from your
>> post it is different than what I was hoping to make. I bought a
>> "corned beef" brisket at Costco and want to follow your directions for
>> cooking it. It is in the celophane type wrapping and covered in
>> spices. I'll put it in a big pot of water, etc. etc. and ultimately
>> replace the spices that came on it with some picking spices,
>> preferably from Penzey's. I was really hoping to find out the amount
>> of pickling spice needed for something around 3 lbs.
>>
>> Thanks.
>> Ginny
>
>Hi Ginny,
>Are you are using Penzey's blend of "Pickling Spices", or their Corned Beef
>Spices?
>There are two and they are different. Neither jar, by the way, instructs for
>how much to use to cook corned beef brisket.
>
>Corned Beef Spices salt free: Hand-mixed from: brown and yellow mustard
>seeds, coriander, Jamaican allspice, cracked cassia, dill seed, Turkish bay
>leaves, Zanzibar cloves, China #1 ginger, Tellicherry peppercorns, star
>anise, juniper, mace, cardamom, red pepper.
>
>Pickling Spice: Hand-mixed from: yellow and brown Canadian mustard seeds,
>Jamaican allspice, cracked China cassia, cracked Turkish bay leaves, dill
>seed, Zanzibar cloves, cracked China ginger, Tellicherry peppercorns, star
>anise, Moroccan coriander, juniper berries, West Indies mace, cardamom and
>medium hot crushed red peppers.
>
>If you have to buy a supermarket brand, I would add black peppercorns to
>whatever you buy, it will be mostly mustard seeds. Also, if you have some
>dill seed, toss them in, and a couple bay leaves, at least.
>
>Now, I have a 3lb point cut corned beef I just bought, along with the
>attending cabbage, potatoes, turnips and carrots. My mom always made it a
>"New England Boiled Dinner" and ALWAYS included turnips and carrots. YUM!
>
>What I plan to do is to rinse off the meat, and I cook mine in my crock pot.
>(I LOVE my crock pot!)
>
>What I usually do is layer the cut up root veggies (not the cabbage, I
>despise overcooked cabbage!) in the bottom, along with an onion, cut in
>half, and the meat on top of the veggies. I add 5-6 garlic cloves which have
>been peeled and smashed but not cut up (the smashing releases the flavor,
>but keeping it whole makes it easier to fish them out later). The garlic
>goes right on top of the meat. I toss in a bay leaf or two, and then I use
>about a teaspoon of both corned beef spice and pickling spice (if I have
>pickling. if not, 2 teaspoons of the cb spice) and I also use a teaspoonful
>of whole black peppercorns. I put them in a bowl and break them up some
>with the side of a small cup. Just to flatten the whole spices a bit, it
>helps release their flavors.
>
>Then I put in just enough water to not quite cover the meat. The meat will
>float, anyway, but you don't want it drowned, just a moist environment.
>
>I put the slow-cooker (crock pot) on low heat and let it go for 9-10 hours.
>When I get home from work, I put the cabbage wedges into a sauce pan and
>ladle some of the water the meat cooked in into the pot. Bring it to a boil
>and let it cook 10-15 minutes, until it's the desired degree of done, which
>for me is completely cooked through but not mush. This way, you get the
>flavors of the cooking water without overcooking it. If I were making this
>on the stove top, I still wouldn't put the cabbage in the pot until the last
>15 minutes...same idea.
>
>While the cabbage is cooking, let the meat rest. Fish out the veggies from
>the brine. I will usually butter the veggies, that's what my mom always
>did, including the cabbage. All on a platter for us to take what we want.
>
>Sometimes I gather up some of the drained garlic cloves and softened
>peppercorns and other spices (Not the bay leaves of course) whirr them
>together with the stick the blender until they make a paste and add some
>dijon mustard for a flavorful condiment for the meat. it's really good!
>Horseradish would zip it up.
>
>On a stove top, I still wouldn't overdo the water. Only for 2 hours, rather
>than 9-10.

Wow, that also sounds excellent. I'm saving this advice. I will
probably use regular grocery store spices this time as I have the meat
in my refrigerator now. I'll add the other spices you recommended.
That should improve things a bit. I don't care for overcooked cabbage
either. Blech!

Thanks,
Ginny < recieved Penzey's latest catalogue a few days ago