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I'm only 1/4 Irish but eating corned beef and cabbage on St Patrick's day along with watching The Quiet Man (boy am I dating myself) is a tradition that goes back further than I can remember. Over the years I've tried many renditions/variations but keep coming back to the Classic version. . .
The Meat: 2, 3-4 lb beef briskets
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I tried brining my own beef one year but that was more trouble than even I wanted to go through. To avoid the chemicals simply purchase a better brisket. Look for one that is uncured, nitrate/nitrite free and from beef raised without hormones and antibiotics. Why 2? Leftovers; it will be great the next day for breakfast, lunch or even dinner again.
LONG & SLOW is the secret here. Top of the stove or crockpot will work but my preference is in the oven. Place your brisket in a large roaster (without a rack) and just barely cover with cold water.** Put a lid on it and place in an unheated oven and set to 300 degrees. Let it do its thing for about an hour to an hour and 15 min.
**Back in the day before I knew the evils of gluten I used 2 bottles of Guinness stout along with the water to simmer it in. It did add a special flavor to it. I go without nowadays but your choice depending on how it affects you.
Remove from the oven and add in 1 medium head of cabbage cut into small wedges, 10-12 small red potatoes and 3-4 carrots
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Back in the over for another 2-3 hours. Check after 2 and when your fork slides easily out of the meat it's done.
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Spoon cabbage, potatoes and carrots into a bowl with some of the juice, slice the corned against the grain and serve with sauces on the side
The Sauces:
Creamy Horseradish Sauce
2-3 tbs horseradish
1/3 cup creme fraiche
1 tsp lemon juice
sea salt to taste
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl
Mustard Sauce
1/3 cup homemade mayo
2 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs creme fraiche
Mix all ingredient together in a small bowl