Old Fashioned Corned Beef & Cabbage

Note from Cheri: This is how I was taught to make Corned Beef and Cabbage by an old friend of my mother back in Holyoke, Massachusetts. This small Western New England town has one of the largest St. Patrick's Day celebrations outside of Ireland. Follow this link for more great Irish and St. Patrick's Day recipes and features.

1 corned beef brisket, about 4 lbs. 1 juice orange 18-20 whole cloves 1 tsp. whole yellow mustard seeds 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds 1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns 1/2 tsp. whole coriander 3 lbs. small potatoes, peeled (I like to use Yukon Gold in this dish) 2 1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces 1 medium head cabbage

Serves 8 Place corned beef in large stockpot. Wash orange, with peel on, then roll around TIP: If your brisket came with a spice packet, you can use that instead of the mustard seeds, caraway seeds, peppercorns and coriander. on counter, pressing down to release the juice inside. Push whole cloves into the orange, scattering them randomly. Cut orange in half, gently squeeze some of the orange juice onto the corned beef and place clove studded orange halves in the pot. Sprinkle spices over meat, then add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 3 hours. Drain. About 40 minutes before beef is finished, boil a large pot of water and cook potatoes and carrots. Add cabbage about 10 minutes before you're ready to serve as it doesn't need to cook long. Drain vegetables. Arrange meat and vegetables on a platter and serve with your favorite mustards.