Corned beef & Cabbage & the 21 Day Fix!

Even though I am not Irish, corned beef and cabbage is one of my MOST FAVORITE meals!
It is possible to stay loyal to the 21 Day Fix and still indulge in this St. Patrick's Day favorite! With that said, please keep in mind even the most lean cuts of corned beef is still cured with salt. Since there is a lot of sodium in this dish it is really important for you to make sure you get ALL of your water in! This would also not be the day to skip you're workout! Remember, you can still indulge in a St. Patrick's Day alcoholic libation but you DO need to count it as a yellow substitute container and measure your ounces.

Since we are talking about our containers, here is the container count for the dish:
2 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, (mustard as condiment is free)

Okay, so let's get down to the recipe. Here is what you will need to make this very low maintenance meal:
1 piece of lean corned beef
2-3 large cooking onions, peeled and halved
1 head of cabbage, trimmed and quartered
red potatoes, cleaned and left whole (if large- okay to halve)
bag of organic baby carrots

I'm not joking when I say this is a super easy meal to cook. I throw everything in a large stock pot. I generally put the onions in first, followed by the potatoes, then the corned beef, then the carrots and cabbage. It is okay to use the packet of spices that come with the corned beef. (Please note, if someone does not like cabbage, or makes them too gassy you can always boil it separately from the corned beef. In that case I would throw it in a pot to boil when the corned beef has about 1 hour left.) Anywho, I fill the stock pot with cold water to JUST cover all of the ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil and then reduce to simmer for about 3 hours. The rule of thumb is to simmer for about 50 minutes per pound of corned beef. Alternatively, if you like firmer veggies you can add the carrots and potato to the pot about 30 minutes before the corned beef is done. In all honesty, I just throw everything in together and don't fuss. Since I leave the skin on the red potatoes, they do no reduce to mush on me. I'm still able to cut into them.

When the meat is done it will fall apart and be tender. I transfer it to a cutting board and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then I scoop out the veggies with a slotted spoon and place them into a serving dish. Did you know there is a way to properly cut corned beef? First, I would trim off any excess fat and discard of it. Next you should take note of the direction of  the muscle fibers. You should cut against the grain so you are shortening those long muscle fibers. This will help you chew and digest the meat better. It will also help to reduce bloat related to meat consumption! Only thing left to do is measure out your red, yellow and green containers! Enjoy! As always please feel free to reach out with questions and feedback! Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Love, Jack & Colby