Boiled Corned Beef

Pretty simple!  It comes with a packet of seasonings, and easy directions which are accurate, as it turns out.

Cook corned brisket of beef according to directions on the package.  Cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 to 3 hours.  Adding the packet of spices is up to you - I always do.  You can individualize by using other spices instead, or by adding more of something than the amount provided.

When the meat is fork tender,  remove it, cool, and put away.  Before serving slice it against the grain.  If you want thin slices, be careful not to overcook, or it will fall apart as you slice it!

Boiled corned brisket of beef

The liquid, seasoned and salty already, is the start for "New England boiled dinner".  It will flavor all the vegetables cooked in it.

Corned beef is great in boiled dinner, salad with cold cuts, and reuben sandwiches.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

Two-Bean Salad

A Russian-style layered salad filled with substantial
stick-to-the-ribs ingredients.

Two-bean Salad with chopped egg

We collected these ingredients:

Black beans
Sweet peas
Carrot
Celery
Tomato
Green onion
Spinach leaves
Lemon juice
Hard-boiled egg

Then we layered them:

Start with spinach leaves in a small bowl.

Add ingredients; do not stir.  We did it in this order:

Spinach
Black Beans
Diced celery
Diced tomato (salt and pepper the tomato layer)
Canned sweet peas
Mayonnaise, spread across the peas
Diced carrot
Diced green onion
Diced egg
Lemon juice
... and vegetable oil drizzled around the top.

Refrigerate for a time.

Garnish with lemon slices and the last bit of green onion

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

This recipe is #88 in the Baker's Dozen Challenge Countdown.