This recipe is delicious when served with a hearty loaf of brown soda bread. You can serve these on their own, or as part of a larger meal.
Savoy cabbage has the best flavor for this recipe, but if it’s unavailable, regular green cabbage can be substituted. I also recommend substituting some of the cooking water with a beef broth (about 4 cups worth, or one carton of low-sodium beef broth).
An easy alternative to cooking your own corned beef is to buy sliced, precooked corned beef instead. Look for it near the bacon in the cold case or ask for it at the deli counter. If using this substitution, simply omit the onion, cover the potatoes with salted water in a large pot and bring to a boil.
Ingredients:
2 pounds corned beef brisket*
1 onion, quartered
2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
16 large outer leaves from a savoy cabbage
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
Mustard, for serving
Method:
Combine beef and onion with 8 cups water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Remove from pot and set aside. Add potatoes to pot and simmer until soft, 15-20 minutes. Remove and set aside; discard onion. Boil cabbage leaves in liquid, 3 at a time, until soft, about 2 minutes. Set aside. Reserve 2 cups cooking liquid.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mash potatoes with egg, salt and half the parsley. Chop beef very coarsely. Using a paring knife, cut a triangle at the bottom of each cabbage leaf to remove the thick, stiff part of the stem. Top each leaf with some potatoes and beef, tuck in the sides and roll up. Place seam-side down in a roasting pan. Ladle reserved cooking liquid over rolls, cover pan tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and serve with mustard.
*If corned beef brisket is unavailable, use a plain beef brisket, and season the cooking liquid with 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 bay leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and 4 allspice berries (or 1/4 teaspoon ground).