When we first moved to Maine, our friend gave us a copy of Marjorie Standish’s iconic 1969 cookbook Cooking Down East, with her favorite recipes earmarked, including this New England Boiled Dinner.
She made it for us last winter, and this year I decided it was my turn. It’s one of those beautifully simple dishes where the ingredients are humble … time does the real work.
Marjorie notes that in Maine, there’s a preference for gray corned beef over red. Red corned beef uses sodium nitrates to help maintain its rosy color and is what many of us in the U.S. picture. For gray corned beef, the brisket is cured for 48 hours in a water-based brine seasoned with sugar, black pepper, garlic, bay leaves, and pickling spices. After a good rinse, it simmers gently in water, about an hour per pound, until tender and sliceable.
Carrots and cabbage join the pot for the final hour, with potatoes added in the last 30 minutes so everything finishes perfectly cooked. The result is fork-tender beef, buttery potatoes, sweet carrots, and cabbage that’s silky and soaked in that savory broth.
Pile it all onto a big platter, shower with parsley, and serve it family-style. It’s simple, nostalgic, and exactly the kind of meal that makes a Maine winter feel cozy instead of cold.
Book: Cooking Down East, page 67
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That – Skill Level: Easy
How Easy Is That – Time Involved: 48 hour brine, cook time varies depending on size of beef
Store-Bought Is Fine: Pickling spices
Recipe not online.
