Whether it’s the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, or just the pursuit of a change of pace, corned beef is one of my favorite meals.Grilled Corned Beef and Cabbage

The best brisket isn’t always smoked, sometimes it’s corned and braised, such as with corned beef. Whether it’s the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, or just the pursuit of a change of pace, corned beef is one of my favorite meals.

Unlike smoked brisket, brisket for corned beef is soaked in a salt water solution, otherwise known as brining. Corning is just an older time for brining, as years ago salt crystals were described as cereal grains, specifically corn kernels. So, to “corn,” is to brine.

This a meal often made in the oven, but perfectly suited for the grill. The use of a foil pan or GBS griddle makes clean up a breeze and is an excuse, if you need one, to fire up the grill on a late winter day. The corning process adds moisture to the brisket, and the slow braise in water creates a wonderfully moist slice from an incredibly tough cut of beef.

Add the vegetables, and it’s the making of a one grill meal. As I said, it’s one of my favorites and this great recipe from Jamie Purviance is one of the best!

Corned Beef and Cabbage on the Grill
By Jamie Purviance

Ingredients:
2½ pounds corned beef (with spice packet)
1 rib celery, trimmed, cut into ½-inch diagonal slices
1 carrot, peeled, cut into ½-inch diagonal slices
1 small yellow onion, cut into thin wedges
2 garlic cloves, crushed with the side of a knife
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
½ head (1 pound) green cabbage, cut into 4 wedges, cores slightly trimmed
10 small red potatoes, each cut in half
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard

Instructions:

1. Unwrap the corned beef and pat dry with paper towels. Allow the beef to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before grilling. 

2. Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F). 

3. Arrange the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic in a 13-by-9-inch heavy-duty foil pan. Place the corned beef on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the contents of the spice packet over the corned beef and rub into the surface of the meat. Add the tomatoes; fill the empty tomato can with water and add to the pan.

4. Brush the cooking grates clean. Tightly cover the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and grill over indirect medium heat, with the lid closed, for about 2 hours. Remove the pan from the grill. Add the cabbage wedges and potatoes around the corned beef and spoon the cooking juices on top. Cover the pan with foil and continue grilling over indirect medium heat, with the lid closed, until the corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage are tender, about 1 hour more.

5. Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and spread the mustard on top. Let stand 5 minutes before carving the meat across the grain into ½-inch slices.

Serve corned beef slices with the cabbage and potatoes, with juices spooned over all, along with grilled rye bread, if desired.