Corned Beef Sandwices & Potato Salad

March Madness time!!  We have people over every year for March Madness and its always a great time to check out some new recipes.  Once in a while this event coincides with St Pattys Day, which gives fun opportunities to decorate- both for us and for those attending.  This year I decided to go with the Irish theme and make corned beef for sandwiches.  I searched a few recipes and found a version online at AllRecipes.com with 5 stars and over 500 reviews.  With that kind of response you have to imagine it would be tasty, right?  The recipes calls for a stovetop method and many reviewers used the crockpot to great results.  I went back and forth all week about which method I wanted to use.  I finally decided on the stovetop for 2 reasons.  First, those who used the crockpot loved their results but those who used the stovetop method RAVED about their results.  Second, by using the stovetop I could keep the crockpot clean and use it for holding during the party without having to wash in between.  I have a really small kitchen and that really counts for something when you're making a lot of different dishes. 

I used 2 packages of the standard corned beef that you purchase on sale the week of St Pattys Day.  I trimmed the meat and then soaked in water for about 10 minutes to get some of the salty brine out of it.  This wasn't in the recipe, but is something I've heard of before and wanted to add to the mix.  I drained the water and added only one of the included spice packets, a 1/4 cup of whole peppercorns, and a head of peeled garlic cloves.  Topped it with 2 bottles of Yeungling and enough water to cover the meat by about an inch.  I brought the mix to a boil and then simmered it, covered, for around 4 hours; turning the pieces every hour and adding water as needed. 

While this was going on....

I put together some potato salad.  You cannot have an Irish holiday without potatoes.  Can't be done.  I thought potato salad would pair nicely with the sandwiches and also with the smoked pork shoulder that we had coming out later in the evening.  I found another great recipe only, this time on the Food Network's website.  It's Ina Garten's recipe and was well reviewed.  I like that it included dill, mustard, and vegetables.  It also had my main requirement- no eggs.  I hate eggs (despise eggs) and I try to find recipes without it rather than leaving it out.  I feel like when a recipe is created, the whole thing plays together and those featuring eggs will have its measurements and ingredients wrapped around that inclusion.  I want a recipe that suits what I need. 

I cut the potatoes into large chunks and boiled them for about 12 minutes, then drained the potatoes.  I put the colander into the pot and covered it with a cloth for about 15 minutes.  I really like this method- it steams the potatoes to completion so they don't get waterlogged.  The dressing includes mayo, dijon and whole grain mustards, dill, salt & pepper.  I finished cutting the potatoes into smaller pieces, mixed it with the dressing while they were still warm, and finished it off with celery & red onion.  My initial impression was that the salad had too much mustard and I hoped it would be better once it cooled off and the flavors blended. 

Back to the corned beef...

After 4 hours and change on the stove, I pulled the pieces of beef out of the liquid and let sit for about 10 minutes.  Whatever fat was left on the meat skimmed off effortlessly.  I sliced about 2 pieces and was giddy at the texture of the meat.  It held together enough to keep in slices but was so tender that I could pull each slice apart with my fingers.  As you can imagine, I had to take a taste right then and there and was thrilled with the result.  The saltiness had toned down from the pre-soaking and the garlic had such a nice subtle presence in the flavor.  Simply outstanding.  The rest sliced up beautifully and I put it all in the crockpot to keep warm for sandwiches. 

The end result...

It took a while for folks to try the beef.  I wanted to shout from the rooftops- it's delicious!!  Try it, damn it!!  lol.  They finally did and agreed.  I served the beef alongside some sliced turkey, ham and salami so there were sandwich options for everyone.  There was swiss cheese, provolone, dijon & whole grain mustards. and cole slaw with rye and pumpernickel breads.  My favorite combination was definitely the seeded rye with dijon mustard and beef.  Simple and perfect.  I paired it with the potato salad, which had thankfully evened out in flavor and was really tasty. 

Tonight, we'll be dining on leftover corned beef with cabbage and potatoes.  I will keep on trying new potato salad recipes, just because different meats call for different flavors, but my search for corned beef has concluded.  I'll never make it any other way again. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooked-corned-beef-for-sandwiches/Detail.aspx

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/potato-salad-recipe/index.html

Sidebar- I feel like I have to add a comment about the the pork shoulder, since it was mentioned.  Shawn smoked a nice sized shoulder with his homemade rub and BBQ sauce and also smoked a tray of my mac & cheese.  My man is talented with his smoker and this was no exception.  Fall apart tender and completely amazing.  There were no leftovers and I now have to figure out what to buy this week to use as a catalyst to eat more BBQ sauce.  My mac & cheese was ridiculous and the 2 hours in the smoker gave it so much flavor.  We ate well yesterday, that goes without saying....