flipNew England Boiled Dinner
New England Boiled Dinner
Why this dish? The "hot evening dinner with meat, vegetables, and potatoes" from Leavitt's file corresponds exactly to this one-pot stewed dish, the pride of New England family tables on Sundays.
A piece of corned beef gently poached with cabbage, carrots, turnips, and potatoes. A single, generous, communal dish where everything cooks in the same broth.
On Sunday, after church, the family gathered around the boiled dinner, and it was the great event of the week. I would put the beef to poach early in the morning, very gently — never at a rolling boil, or the meat becomes tough and that's wasting the grace of a good piece. The vegetables were added in order, the hardest first, and the aroma filled the whole house. At table, we said grace, and we ate in silence, grateful.
- •Corned beef brisket — a nice piece (meat)
- •Cabbage — one, cut into wedges (vegetable)
- •Turnips and carrots — a bunch of each (root vegetables)
- •Potatoes — as many as needed (starch)
- •Peppercorns and bay leaf — a few (aromatics)
New England Boiled Dinner
A piece of corned beef gently poached with cabbage, carrots, turnips, and potatoes. A single, generous, communal dish where everything cooks in the same broth.
Why this dish? The "hot evening dinner with meat, vegetables, and potatoes" from Leavitt's file corresponds exactly to this one-pot stewed dish, the pride of New England family tables on Sundays.
On Sunday, after church, the family gathered around the boiled dinner, and it was the great event of the week. I would put the beef to poach early in the morning, very gently — never at a rolling boil, or the meat becomes tough and that's wasting the grace of a good piece. The vegetables were added in order, the hardest first, and the aroma filled the whole house. At table, we said grace, and we ate in silence, grateful.
Ingredients (period version)
- Corned beef brisket — a nice piece (meat)
- Cabbage — one, cut into wedges (vegetable)
- Turnips and carrots — a bunch of each (root vegetables)
- Potatoes — as many as needed (starch)
- Peppercorns and bay leaf — a few (aromatics)
Ingredients
- Corned beef brisket — 1.2 kg (meat)
- Green cabbage — 1/2, cut into wedges (vegetable)
- Carrots — 4 (root vegetable)
- Turnips — 3 (root vegetable)
- Firm potatoes — 6 (starch)
- Peppercorns, bay leaf — 1 tsp / 2 leaves (aromatics)
Method
- Rinse the corned beef, cover with cold water in a large pot, add peppercorns and bay leaf.
- Bring to a simmer and poach very gently (never at a rolling boil) for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the meat is tender.
- Add carrots and turnips 40 minutes before the end, then potatoes and cabbage 20 minutes before the end.
- Drain, slice the meat against the grain, and arrange in the center of a platter surrounded by the vegetables.
- Ladle a little broth over and serve with strong mustard.
How it was made : Beef was preserved all winter in a brine with large grains of salt ("corns" of salt, hence corned beef). The one-pot meal simmered for hours on the wood stove, and the broth often served as soup the next day — nothing was wasted.
The contemporary twist : Two days later, chop the leftovers with potatoes and fry into a crispy "red flannel hash," topped with an egg.
Sources : Fannie Farmer, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, 1896
Henrietta Leavitt · Charactorium
