Step 1

Prep. Peel the carrots and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces. Clean the potatoes and cut into 2-inch (5.1-cm) chunks. Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage and cut into quarters.

Step 2

If you are using store bought corned beef, open the cryovac and dump out all the liquid. If you have made your own corned beef (and you should, it is better than store-bought, click here for the recipe), remove it from the curing liquid.

Step 3

Rinse the corned beef thoroughly. Some packages have some pickling spices in a packet. They can't flavor the meat but they can flavor the veggies. Some cuts have a thick layer of fat on the surface of one side, called a fat cap. Trim it all off. This fat is not like marbling in beef. It cannot penetrate the meat and it brings nothing to the party but calories and it just makes scum. If you bought the point section of a brisket, there is probably a layer of fat on top of a layer of meat, then another layer of fat, and finally another layer of meat. Trim off the surface fat and leave the center fat layer intact. It will be easy to remove after it is cooked.

Step 4

Cook. Place the meat in a large pot along with enough hot water to cover it by at least 1" (2.5 cm) and put the lid on. Turn the heat to medium low, bring it to a simmer at about 190°F (87.8°C) and keep it there for 30 minutes. If you boil it, it will shrink and squeeze out the moisture. Yes, you can make dry meat in a pot of water if you cook it too hot! Beware that the meat is cold, so when it warms the water will slowly move from simmer to boil. Keep an eye on it and try not to let it boil.

Step 5

After 30 minutes of simmering, dump out the water and cover the meat with fresh hot water, again about 1" (2.5 cm) above the meat. We do this to remove some of the salt from the curing process. You want salt, but not too much. Bring to a low simmer again, this time cooking for 3 hours or until it is about 190°F (87.8°C) in the center and fork tender. Some really cheap cuts will never get tender (and that's why it is best to make your own). Keep the meat submerged even if you have to weight it down with a small plate.

Step 6

About 1 hour before dinnertime, add the carrots and potatoes. If you want, add the spices now. They will need an hour to get tender, depending on how thick you cut them. About 30 minutes before dinner, add the cabbage. If you want to add onions and garlic to flavor the soup, do it now. But don't think for a minute they will flavor the meat.

Step 7

Remove the meat and place it on a carving board. If you got the point section, there are often two horizontal muscles with a thick layer of fat between them. Separate them by sliding a knife through the fat. Carve and/or scrape off the fat layer.

Step 8

Serve. Carve the meat by cutting across the grain about the thickness of a pencil. Any thinner and it will fall apart, any thicker and it will be chewy. Carve with the grain and you will have difficulty chewing. Lift out the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots and divide them into serving bowls. Place the meat in the bowl. Spoon some of the cooking liquid over them and serve.