Corned Beef and Cabbage

Tracy came for a visit this weekend. We went out the to farm to get milk, eggs, cream, and yoghurt. For dinner, we served a corned beef that had been soaking (or, is it corning?) for a while. It was really quite tasty, and we will definitely do this one again. The hardest part is getting a beef brisket; it's a large, tough cut, so you don't seem them all that often. We got one from the grass-fed place at the market.

Corned Beef and Cabbage With Veggies
Corned Beef. . .
1 gallon water
1 cup sea salt
12 cloves garlic, crushed
3T. pickling spices (mustard seeds, juniper berries, crushed bay leaves, etc.)
6 bay leaves
beef brisket

Bring water to a complete boil, and dissolve salt. Let cool. Place brisket in a very large, non-reactive (non-metal) pan, add garlic, pickling spices, and bay leaves. Pour cooled brine over meat and seasonings. The meat should be completely covered (or floating) in brine. Cover and refrigerate for approximately 2 weeks, turning periodically

. . . . with Cabbage and Veggies
Corned beef from above
3 potatoes
3 turnips
8 carrots
large onion
small head of cabbage
water

Discard brine and spices. Place brisket in a pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce and simmer about 2.5 hours. Peel and chop potatoes, turnips, carrots and onion. Add to pot and continue cooking until veggies are tender - about 1/2 hour. Chop cabbage and cook with some of cooking liquid from other pot until cabbage is tender. Reserve the broth for later cooking. Slice brisket across grain, and serve hot with cabbage and veggies.
Serves: an army