Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage

Place corned beef and seasoning packet in 6- or 8-quart stock pot. Fill stock pot with enough water to cover corned beef by an inch or two. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking for a total of 50 minutes per pound (my 4-pound corned beef cooked for a total of about 3 hours and 20 minutes). Feel free to skim any scum that rises to the surface, being careful not to remove seasonings.

60 minutes before corned beef is done, put carrots in the stockpot, making sure they go do down into the water. 30 minutes before corned beef is done, put potatoes in the stockpot, making sure they go down into the water. 15 minutes before corned beef is done, place cabbage wedges on top of corned beef. It’s okay if the cabbage wedges don’t get submerged under the water—cover the stockpot and the steam in the pot will cook the cabbage.

Carefully remove the cabbage wedges from the pot and place on serving platter. Remove corned beef from stockpot and place on cutting board; slice thinly across the grain and arrange on serving platter. Remove carrots and potatoes from stockpot and arrange on serving platter.