KITCHEN TIPS at T R W - RECIPES
RECIPES ON THIS PAGE: (listed in the order they appear)
Braised Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Green Chile Meatloaf
BRAISED CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DINNER
Around the beginning of March, I start thinking about Corned Beef and Cabbage also known as “New England Boiled Dinner”. I never got very excited about this meal, it was just sort of blah to me. In years past the price of Corned Beef would drop below $2.00 a pound but this last year it didn’t drop, in fact I paid over $5.00 a pound. At this price I couldn’t see dropping beef in my 
Dutch oven or slow cooker, covering it with water and boiling or simmering for hours. somewhere along the way I would add potatoes and carrots, then add cabbage wedges the last half hour. The end result is a meal where everything tastes pretty much the same, waterlogged and, well, blah.
As I often do, I pulled out 4-5 cookbooks and looked at other options. I also scanned the internet for ideas. Then I put everything away and did my own thing. My Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner turned out so much better I will never boil another Corned Beef. I hope you enjoy this recipe as well.
BRAISED CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DINNER
1 Corned Beef Brisket (about 3 pounds, with seasoning packet)
4 cups beef broth
6-8 whole peppercorns
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
½ - 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (not bright yellow mustard)
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar (dark brown works well too)
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges (or 2 med. Quartered)
½ pound baby carrots (more if you like)
4 medium size red potatoes cut in quarters
1 head green cabbage cut into wedges
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir (whisk) broth, the seasoning packet, peppercorns, garlic, and pepper flakes together in a roasting pan. (no rack) Place the corned beef in the pan, fat side up. If the beef is totally submerged, remove some of the seasoned broth and reserve. Spread the Dijon mustard on the beef then sprinkle with the brown sugar. Cover the pan.
2. Bake for 2 ½ hours. Remove from oven and arrange the carrots, potatoes, onion, and cabbage around the beef in the pan. If some of the broth had been reserved, put carrots and potatoes in the pan and gently lift the beef so it rests on top. Then add the onion and cabbage around the beef and add the remaining broth.
3. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 1 ½ hours or until beef and vegetables are fork tender.
4. Remove beef and vegetables to serving dish(es) and let rest 10 minutes. While beef rests, strain broth mixture to serve with dinner. Slice beef and serve. ENJOY!!
Notes:
When purchasing a Corned Beef Brisket, I like the flat cuts rather than a point cuts. The flat cut has less fat. If there is a thick fat cap on the brisket, you may want to trim it a little so the mustard and brown sugar topping will penetrate down to the meat.
I like to use baby carrots just because they are ready to go but feel free to use whole peeled carrots and cut to desired size.
Red potatoes hold together best in this recipe. If potatoes are small, just cut in half and use a few more.
If the head of cabbage is large, cut in half (saving half for another use) then cut 1 half into 4 wedges. If the head is small, cut into 6 wedges.
Equipment:
Slicing Knife (This is the type of knife I prefer. Drop forged blade, full handle tang, riveted to handle, it does not allow for gunk to accumulate, ensuring a clean and precise cut every time.)
SLOW COOKER APPLE BUTTER
This thick, rich, and flavorful Apple Butter is good on just about everything but great on toast or light, fluffy biscuits!
Ingredients:
5 pounds apples (any variety will work fine)
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
2-3 dashes of salt
Instructions:
1. Peel, core and thin slice the apples.
2. Add apples to the slow cooker. Stir in brown sugar, spices and salt.
3. Stir till the apples are coated.
4. Cover and cook on high for 5-7 hours.
5. When apples are tender, place them and any liquid in a blender. Cover with the lid and a towel (in case the lid tries to lift off). Hold the lid in place and blend until it is very smooth.
Or if you have an immersion blender, you can blend it right in the slow cooker.
Note:
If you don’t have Pumpkin Pie Spice, use 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp. ground cloves.
Green Chile Meatloaf
A New Mexican twist on a classic meatloaf recipe.
When I make this meatloaf, I usually use 2 pounds of ground beef and shape it into two loaves. I freeze one for another day and bake the other. We get two meals out of each loaf, being just the two of us.
Ingredients
Meatloaf:
2 pounds lean ground beef (90/10 works well)
1 box (6oz.) cornbread stuffing mix (such as Stove Top)
1 cup milk
1 cup roasted green chiles, chopped (or 3 x 4 oz. cans)
¾ cup diced yellow onions
2 large eggs
2 Tablespoons spicy ketchup (I use Sriracha Ketchup)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 ½ teaspoons salt
! teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
Glaze:
½ cup spicy ketchup (Sriracha Ketchup)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix ground beef, stuffing mix, milk, green chiles, onion, eggs, spicy ketchup, Worcestershire, parsley, salt, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined.
Place two 9 x 5 loaf pans on the counter. Lightly spray one with cooking spray (such as Pam), line the second one with plastic wrap leaving ends long enough to cover the meatloaf so you can freeze.
Mix spicy ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar for glaze in a small bowl. Spread evenly over the loaf you are going to bake. (You will need to make another batch of the glaze before baking the second meatloaf.)
Bake in the preheated oven for about 55 minutes until it is no longer pink in the middle. An instant-read thermometer should read at least 160 degrees when inserted in the middle. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes:
The glaze makes a lot in my opinion. You may want to reserve maybe half to serve with finished meatloaf.
Cover the second meatloaf with extra plastic wrap and freeze in the pan so the meatloaf will hold its shape. Once frozen, you can remove the meatloaf from the pan (don’t remove plastic), wrap tightly in foil and return to the freezer until ready to use.
Don’t glaze the meatloaf you plan to freeze. Defrost the second meatloaf in the fridge overnight and glaze before baking.
Equipment:
9 x 5 Loaf Pans (designed to drain fat away from meatloaf)
Instant-read Thermometer (My daughter gave this one to me as a gift and I love it. By far the best I’ve used.)
This recipe originally came from Allrecipes.com.
