Traditional Irish Boiled Dinner Recipe

This recipe for hearty beef brisket is slow cooked on the stovetop with cabbage, leeks, carrots, potatoes, and turnips. Two bottles of beer are added to give depth and richness to the broth without lending any beer flavor. Boiled dinners like this one are a comfort food in most irish homes. They are full meals made in a single pot and include everything you need for a delicious family-style dinner complete with your choice of meat (beef, corned beef, pork, lamb, or game meat all work well), potatoes, and lots of vegetables. It all comes together in no time at all, with most of the effort going into preparing all the fresh veggies. You will, however, have to let this cook for at least 3 1/2 hours, so it's ideal for the weekend when the whole clan can get together and enjoy it. Jeff smith (william morrow).