How to Make Perfect Corned Beef Dinner in a Crock Pot

Corned beef point brisket, red potatoes, baby carrots, red cabbage
How to Make Perfect Corned Beef Dinner in a Crock Pot

Corned beef is not something eaten in Ireland, but it is popular in the U.S. as a St. Patrick's Day dinner.  (Alanis Morrissette -- this is ironic.) In Chicago, where I grew up, St. Patrick's Day celebrations last for about 3 weeks, with several big parades spanning two or three weekends, and countless parties.  The Chicago River is dyed a bright green for the holiday.  People dress in kelly green derby hats, tophats, and bowties. Beers - especially Guinness, are the mandatory drink, and corned beef dinner is the mandatory meal.

This is how to make an absolutely delicious corned beef dinner in a crock pot.  This meal consists of corned beef, red potatoes, baby carrots, and red cabbage -- and it is all cooked in the crock pot and meant to be served all on one plate or bowl.

What is different about this recipe than most other corned beef recipes?  This calls for seasoning the outside of the corned beef with black pepper and garlic powder and a good coating of honey mustard, and then searing it in olive oil and browning the fat before adding the meat to the crock pot.  Very few corned beef recipes call for browning the outside of the meat, but I think it makes it look and taste much better.  Another difference is this recipe calls for red cabbage, rather than green.  This is to give the meat and sauce a rich garnet color and also to avoid the pungent cabbage-y smell.  Another difference is this recipe calls for you to rinse the corned beef rather well in cool water before cooking it, to remove a lot of the excess salt.  This recipe also calls for the meal to be cooked for 10 hours in crock pot on the low setting.  If you don't have 10 hours to wait, this recipe is not for you!   

If you are used to a tough or chewy corned beef -- this is not that. This is a very tender, melt-in-your-mouth corned beef, with creamy/waxy potatoes and perfect carrots and cabbage.

1. Buy a corned beef brisket.  Corned beef brisket is sold in two basic cuts -- flat or point.  For this recipe, you want a point, because it has more fat and is juicier.  You are going to cook this for 10 hours.  You will need about one pound of uncooked meat for each person you will serve, since the meat shrinks down and this dish is so delicious people will want seconds.  Look at several of the corned beef points and choose the one that appeals to you. 

2. Rinse the meat in cool water to wash off some of the salt. Rinse it under cool running water in a big pan.  Dump out the water a few times.  Instead of all that salt, we are going to skillfully season this corned beef.  If you don't rinse the corned beef, it will be extremely salty, almost inedible and probably dangerous for anyone who should not be eating so much salt. 

3. Season and sear.  Liberally sprinkle ground black pepper and garlic powder (not garlic salt!) all over the outside of the meat, particularly on the fat.  Then, coat the outside with honey mustard and rub it in with a spoon.  Then, sear all sides of the brisket in sizzling olive oil in a nonstick fry pan or cast iron skillet.  Sear the fatty sides of the meat for about 5 minutes each to brown them up nicely.  Sear the other sides for about a minute each.  To sear the short sides of the meat, you have to hold it up with a big fork and/or big kitchen tongs.  The honey mustard is going to form a crust with the fat and will flavor the meat for the 10 hours it is in the crock pot.  Save the seasoned olive oil from the fry pan to dump into the crock put once you get that filled and ready.

4. Fill the crock pot.  Pour the brisket into the crock pot with the fattiest side up.  Then cut about 10 small red potatoes into eighths and put them around the brisket.  Cut about 20 baby carrots in half and put them along the sides of the meat, too. Cut up an onion into big chunks, break the chunks apart and use those to cover the brisket.  Add pickling spice --  shaking in a few good shakes.  Pickling spice comes in big spice shakers and is a mix of peppercorns, mustard seed, cinnamon, allspice, and other spices.  It smells so good and flavors the meat and vegetables perfectly.  You might want to use a spice ball or bag so the pickling spice does not mix with the liquid.  I add the spice directly to the liquid, but later spend some time fishing out some of the peppercorns, which can be a nuisance in the sauce.  I don't think the spices has as much effect in a spice ball or bag.  Later, you will be adding red cabbage - but not yet.

5. Prepare a seasoning liquid.  In a blender cup or in a bowl with a whisk, mix up: 4 or 5 cups of water, a couple tablespoons of Dijon mustard, a tablespoon of minced garlic, and some spices -- pepper, sage, garlic powder, a dash of dried red pepper.  Add a good dash of balsamic vinegar. Blend or whisk up this mix and then pour it into the crock pot. The meat should be totally covered -- if it is not, add some water to just cover the meat.  Pour the seasoned olive oil from the fry pan into the crock pot.  It will only be a small amount, but it adds a nice flavor and waxy texture to the potatoes.

6. Cook.  Set the crock pot on low and plan to cook it for 10 hours.  Make sure you have your crock put someplace that it has at least a foot of clearance on all sides, so the heat it generates does not affect anything else or cause a fire hazard.  Make sure there is nothing above it, either -- such as a cabinet or shelf that could be harmed by 10 hours of heat from the crock pot. If you are around during the 10 hours, it is fun to check the meat with a dinner fork every few hours and watch how it becomes more and more tender.  At about 6 hours, it is probably edible, but tough.  At 8 hours, it is tender.  At 10 hours, it is very tender.  As long as the meat is fully covered in liquid, it will continue to get tender during the 10 hours.  That's why it is important to start with plenty of nicely spiced liquid in the crock pot. 

7. Red cabbage.  I use red cabbage because it gives the sauce and meat a nice garnet color.  It also does not have that strong pungent cabbage-y smell.  Cut some thin red cabbage wedges and put them into the crock pot with the potatoes and carrots.  This cabbage will provide color, but will almost disappear with cooking.  A couple hours before you are going to eat -- about 7 or 8 hours from the time you start the crock pot, come back and add bigger wedges of red cabbage into the crock pot.  

8. Cook for 10 hours on low.  After 10 hours, the meat should be very tender.  Remove the meat onto a platter and let it cool for 10 or 15 minutes before cutting it.  Use a big slotted spoon to remove the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage from the crock pot into a bowl to serve.  Add some of the sauce from the crock pot into the vegetable bowl or into a separate bowl -- and you might want to strain it as you do, to remove the peppercorns and mustard seeds. You can do this by using a ladle to pour the sauce through a metal strainer into a big serving  bowl.  The strainer will end out filled with peppercorns, mustard seeds, bits of onion, etc. 

9. Slice the meat against the grain.  The meat will have a texture like many tiny straws all lined up.  You want to slice the meat so you are cutting against this -- to create a slice that is many short straws.  If you cut the meat this way, there will be layers of fat on the top and bottom of each slice, with a very tender slice of meat in between.  Since we seasoned and browned the fat, it will be tasty and some people will want to eat some of it.  If not, each person can easily remove the fat from their serving.  

10.  Serve and eat.  This is a great meal to serve in flat bowls, such as big pasta or soup bowls, if you have those.  If not, plates will do.  I usually warm up the bowls or plates by adding a tiny bit of liquid and microwaving them on high for 15 seconds.  A warm dish keeps the food hotter longer and is a nice touch.

11.  Serve with beer, wine, water, or apple cider for a delicious meal. 

What you will need to make this:

Corned beef brisket point cut
ground black pepper
garlic powder
honey mustard
olive oil
pickling spice
red potatoes
an onion
red cabbage
baby carrots
Dijon mustard
balsamic vinegar
some other spices, whatever you like

Frying pan
big meat fork
tongs
crock pot
knife
cutting plate or board
metal strainer
bowls or plates



Today is Mardi Gras!

Today is Mardi Gras!

Two hours of Mardi Gras music to get you in the mood.

How to Make a Low Sodium Pot Roast in a Crock Pot

Plate with pot roast, potatoes, carrots, and au just gravy


How to Make a Low Sodium Pot Roast in a Crock Pot
by Susan Basko 

This is how to make a delicious, tender, lower sodium pot roast in a crock pot.  I am writing this recipe for beginning cooks, those who maybe never made a roast before.  The first time you make a roast, it may seem like a big project -- but after you've done it once, you will be able to easily do it any time.

I was looking online for a recipe to make a pot roast in a crock pot, and the recipes were scary because they used so much sodium. Most of the recipes called for beef broth and onion soup mix. That much sodium is unhealthy to eat.  I prefer low sodium foods with more complex flavors.  Don't substitute salt and chemicals for a knowledge and use of spices.

Some of the online recipes also call for very little liquid or no liquid-- and not surprisingly, people wrote in comments saying their meat was tough and chewy.  My recipe calls for ample liquid that will turn the roast very tender and cook the potatoes into a savory treat.  The cooking liquid becomes the au jus gravy for the meat and potatoes.

This recipe is for a roast that is about 2 pounds, with lots of potatoes and carrots cooked with it.  This will make 4 or 5 very generous servings.

1. Buy a roast.  The package will say "pot roast."  Most grocery stores have sales on pot roasts every now and then. When they're on sale, they will be less expensive and there will also usually be a much better selection.  If you go shopping mid-morning, you will likely get the very best selection of meat before the best cuts have all been bought.  Look for a roast that is well-marbled.  That means there are visible lines of fat running all through it, the way a slab of marble looks.  Try to find a roast that is about 3 or 4 inches thick and weighs about 2 pounds.

 If you are feeding more than 3 or 4 people, you will need a larger roast or several roasts --  and then you should cook it in a pan in the oven and not in a crock pot.  The crock pot method works best for a smaller roast.  In an oven, you can use a very big roasting pan. Plan on about a half pound of uncooked roast for each adult person.  The roast shrinks up during cooking.  It's nice to have leftovers, so you might want to plan for that, too.

2. Potatoes and Veggies. You will also need small potatoes -- red potatoes are nice, as are yellow or golden potatoes.  I use about 8 or 10 small potatoes.  Plan at least two small potatoes for each person you will be serving. You also need a small bag of baby carrots, a large yellow onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar (that is the dark brown vinegar), some mustard (I use Dijon mustard), minced garlic (I buy big jars of minced garlic in olive oil and use it for everything), and a variety of spices.  I also add a bag of Mann's sweet potato rotini.  These are sweet potatoes cut up like zigzag french fries and sold fresh in a bag in the produce department.  The sweet potatoes add a nice flavor and texture.

3. Crock pot.  I use a large oval crock pot.  Use whatever you have and buy a roast that will fit.
.
6. Season the roast.  First, sprinkle a good coating of seasonings and spices on all sides of the roast.  I use black pepper, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning.  Use the back of a spoon to rub the spices into the meat.

7. Braise the roast. Heat olive oil in a fry pan or skillet and braise all sides of the meat.  I use a nonstick fry pan. I braise the top and bottom of the roast for 5 or 6 minutes each side, while I cut the vegetables.   To braise the narrow sides of the roast, hold it up with a big fork or tongs.  I braise each narrow side for about two minutes.  Make sure any fatty parts are braised into a nice crisp brown.  Don't skip braising your meat because the braising is what gives the roast a nice brown color and crust and seals in the flavors and juices.  I have seen online recipes that say you don't need to braise the meat before roasting it, but that is nonsense.  If you don't braise the meat, you will end out with a pale grey tasteless roast with a poor texture.

8. Cut the vegetables and heat the crock pot. While the meat is braising, put a little water in the crock pot and turn it on low to preheat it.  Rinse the potatoes, cut them in half and cut each half into four.  Cut about 15 or 20 baby carrots into 2 or 3 pieces each.  Peel and cut a big onion into wedges and break it into pieces. 

9. Put the roast onto the bottom of the crock pot.  Put the potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes around the roast.  Put the onion pieces on top of the roast. The roast simmers in the liquid and becomes tender, and the potatoes and carrots get their flavor from the meat and sauce.

10.  Prepare the sauce.  To get a good, juicy roast, you need to cook it in liquid.  I put all the sauce ingredients into a blender, blend it for a few seconds, then pour the mix into the crock pot.  Then sauce should cover all the potatoes and vegetables and only the very top of the roast should be above water -- and that will be covered in onion pieces. The balsamic vinegar in the sauce gives a nice flavor and browns up the potatoes and meat quite nicely.  This sauce become an au jus gravy that is perfect over the meat and potatoes.

2 cups water
1/4 cut balsamic vinegar
tablespoon of minced garlic
tablespoon of Dijon mustard

Spices -- I use the following, but you can use whatever you have and like:
black pepper
garlic powder
sumac spice
dried onion flakes
dried sage
dried basil
poultry seasoning
oregano

11. Cover the crock pot and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.  You can prepare this in the morning and go about your day and by dinner time, you should have a pot roast that is so tender that it can be broken apart with a spoon, lots of nutritious vegetables, and a perfect sauce. 

12. Eat and enjoy!  Break off chunks of the roast, use a slotted spoon to lift out the vegetables, and use a ladle to scoop out some sauce.  You might want to serve a side dish of peas or corn, as well as your favorite bread to sop up some of the gravy.













Mardi Gras! March 5!



Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday.  This year, 2019, Mardi Gras is on Tuesday March 5.  Mardi Gras marks the beginning of Lent, the religious preparation for Easter.  Mardi Gras is a big celebration of music, food, and love.  Mardi Gras is famous for masquerades, parades, brass bands playing jazz tunes, brightly colored bead necklaces, meals of shrimp and other Creole favorites.  A balcony overlooking the parade in the French Quarter is considered a prime spot for New Orleans partying.

New Orleans is famous for its Mardi Gras.  According to this website, there are parades the weekend before that Tuesday.

FROM OUR FRIEND, Andrea, at Alltherooms.com comes this info on how to get a room in New Orleans:

"New Orleans has 4,867 hotels, vacation rentals and other unique places to stay, with prices to suit budget travelers, luxury travelers and everything in between. We combine a wide variety of New Orleans accommodations including vacation rentals, homestays, hostels and other unique places to stay into one easy search. We show results from more than 7 providers, including 1,910 places to stay from Airbnb, 531 accommodations from VRBO and 106 places to stay from Homeaway."
Vacation Rentals - New Orleans Guide: https://www.alltherooms.com/vacation-rentals-new-orleans


6: I only have limited time. What is the prime time to visit during Mardi Gras?

The weekend before Fat Tuesday is the prime time to visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras. This is the weekend when Bacchus and Endymion, two of the biggest parades of the season, roll down the streets of New Orleans. The streets are packed all day Saturday and Sunday with parade watchers. If you can stay longer than a weekend, Monday (Lundi Gras) and Fat Tuesday are also great days to experience Mardi Gras. Orpheus, another big parade, rolls on that Monday night, and the Zulu Lundi Gras festival goes on all day. On Fat Tuesday, walking around the French Quarter and seeing all of the costumes and masks is a unique and thrilling experience. 
If you won't be in New Orleans, most other cities have some Mardi Gras fun.

Here are some Mardi Gras listings in the Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York areas:

Here are some Mardi Gras events in the Chicago area:

  • Chicago Mardi Gras Festival - BeadQuest 2019
    Sat, 12 – 8 PM
    Wrigleyville
    Chicago, IL
  • 16
    MAR

    Omega Mardi Gras 2019
    Sat, Mar 16 – Sun, Mar 17
    Room43, 1039-1041 E 43rd St
    Chicago, IL
  • 2
    MAR

    Yacht Party Chicago's Mardi Gras Booze Cruise on...
    Sat, 8:30 – 11:30 PM
    Anita Dee Yacht Charters, 200 N Breakwater Access
    Chicago, IL
  • 5
    MAR

    Mardi Gras Masquerade @ The Promontory
    Tue, Mar 5 – Wed, Mar 6
    The Promontory, 5311 S Lake Park Ave W
    Chicago, IL
  • 2
    MAR

    Mardi Gras Silent Day Party
    Sat, 12 – 6 PM
    Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery, 9030 S Hermitage Ave
    Chicago, IL
  • 21
    FEB

    Carnivale University: Mardi Gras Cocktails
    Tomorrow, 6 – 8 PM
    Carnivale, 702 W Fulton St
    Chicago, IL
  • 5
    MAR

    Mardi Gras - Fat Tuesday
    Tue, 5 – 11 PM
    Norman's Bistro, 1001 E 43rd St
    Chicago, IL
  • 2
    MAR

    Mardi Gras Chaser
    Saturday
    Chicago
    Chicago, IL
  • 2
    MAR

    ANNUAL MARDI GRAS DINNER PARTY
    Sat, 6 – 9 PM
    Holy Name Cathedral Parish, 730 N Wabash Ave
    Chicago, IL
  • 5
    MAR

    MARDI GRAS - Chicago CORPORATE Real Estate...
    Tue, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
    Buddy Guy's Legends, 700 S Wabash Ave
    Chicago, IL


And Mardi Gras in Los Angeles:

  • 2
    MAR

    30th Annual Mardi Gras Celebration
    Sat, 7 PM
    LA Farmers' Market, 6333 W 3rd St
    Los Angeles, CA
  • 21
    FEB

    Mardi Gras 2019 Networking Mixer
    Tomorrow, 5 – 8 PM
    Imperial Western Beer Company, 800 N Alameda St
    Los Angeles, CA
  • 5
    MAR

    Tribute to Moulin Rouge (Mardi Gras Masquerade)
    Tue, Mar 5 – Wed, Mar 6
    Pour Vous, 5574 Melrose Ave
    Los Angeles, CA
  • 3
    MAR

    Mardi Gras Crawfish Boil at Imperial Western Beer...
    Sun, 12 – 6 PM
    Imperial Western Beer Company, 800 N Alameda St
    Los Angeles, CA
  • 23
    FEB

    Mardi Gras Fundraiser
    Sat, 5 – 11 PM
    Consolidated Realty Board, 3725 Don Felipe Dr
    Los Angeles, CA
  • 2
    MAR

    Downtown LA MARDI GRAS Club Crawl - All access...
    Sat, Mar 2 – Sun, Mar 3
    Bang Bang Room, 221 W 7th St
    Los Angeles, CA
  • 5
    MAR

    Mardi Gras Food Fest 2019
    Tue, 6 – 10 PM
    Santa Anita Park, 285 Huntington Dr
    Arcadia, CA
  • 2
    MAR

    Mardi Gras Carnivale
    Sat, 7 PM
    Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd
    Los Angeles, CA
  • 2
    MAR

    Los Angeles MARDI GRAS Club Crawl
    Sat, Mar 2 – Sun, Mar 3
    Los Angeles Club Crawl, 221 W 7th St
    Los Angeles, CA
  • 9
    MAR

    K33 | Mardi Gras themed AKF & OPP
    Sat, Mar 9 – Sun, Mar 10
    91352
    Sun Valley, CA


Mardi Gras in New York!

  • 5
    MAR

    Shrove Tuesday / Mardi Gras
    Tuesday
    New York
    New York, NY
  • 22
    FEB

    Mardi Gras Weekend Ball @ 230 Fifth
    Fri, Feb 22 – Sat, Feb 23
    230 5th Ave
    New York, NY
  • 8
    MAR

    Mardi Gras In Queens
    Fri, Mar 8 – Sat, Mar 9
    Mazi Nightclub, 13035 91st Ave
    Richmond Hill, NY
  • 1
    MAR

    Mardi Gras 2019 Dance Party at 230 Fifth Free...
    Fri, 6 – 11 PM
    230 Fifth Rooftop Bar, 230 5th Ave
    New York, NY
  • 23
    FEB

    NYC Mardi Gras at Play Sport Club
    Sat, 2 – 8 PM
    52 Walker St
    New York, NY
  • 3
    MAR

    Mistick Krewe of the Cosmus - Mardi Gras Pre Party...
    Sun, Mar 3 – Mon, Mar 4
    333 E 60th St
    New York, NY
  • 1
    MAR

    Mardi Gras Carnival Party
    Fri, Mar 1 – Sat, Mar 2
    Lot 45 Bushwick, 411 Troutman St
    Brooklyn, NY
  • 1
    MAR

    2019 MULTI-PARISH MARDI GRAS BASH
    Fri, Mar 1 – Sat, Mar 2
    St John Nepomucene Church, 411 E 66th St
    New York, NY
  • 23
    FEB

    StrongCity x YEP Fest: NYC Mardi Pardi!
    Sat, 3 – 7 PM
    151 Avenue C
    New York, NY
  • 2
    MAR

    St Francis de Sales Mardi Gras Celebration 2019
    Sat, 6 – 9 PM
    135 E 96th St
    New York, NY

  • 3
    MAR

    Hip Sip, Mardi Gras at the International...
    Sun, Mar 3 – Tue, Mar 5
    Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 W 34th St
    New York, NY
  • 22
    FEB

    Mardi Gras Penthouse Party
    Fri, Feb 22 – Sat, Feb 23
    230 Fifth Rooftop Bar, 230 5th Ave
    New York, NY
  • 3
    MAR

    MARDI GRAS
    Sun, 5 – 10 PM
    Fusion Lounge NY, 34-19 Steinway St
    Queens, NY
  • 5
    MAR

    Boris & Horton Mardi Gras Pawty
    Tue, 7 – 9 PM
    Boris & Horton, 195 Avenue A
    New York, NY
  • 22
    FEB

    Bumped Off on Bourbon Street - A Mardi Gras Murder...
    Fri, 7 – 9 PM
    230 Fifth Rooftop Bar, 230 5th Ave
    New York, NY