Our Favorite Corned Beef and Cabbage


1    3 lb.  Cured corned beef brisket, well trimmed 
1 med           onion, chopped
3 med           carrots, chopped
1 1/2 c           celery, chopped
1 12-16 oz bottle of a stout malt beer *
¾ c               brown sugar, packed (optional)
1 6oz. can       tomato paste
1 can       low-salt beef broth (11 ½ oz)

¼ c                fresh dill, chopped or
            1 T  dried dill
6              black peppercorns|
2             whole cloves

         Stir the tomato paste into the  beef broth.  Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker and mix well.  Lay the trimmed beef on top, cover and cook on high for 6 - 8 hours.  (Kay's original hand written recipe called for 8 hours but 6 seems to be enough.)  Half way through stir and turn meat over.
            Remove meat and cut diagonally across the grain into ¼ inch slices. 
   Cabbage

Slice cabbage into ¾ inch strips and sauté in butter salt and pepper. Serve with corned beef.
   

               NOTES:
     1.    The corned beef I get in a package (Like Hormel) comes with a spice package and I use that instead of the recipe spices.
     2.    We like to drizzle a little of the broth over the corned beef and cabbage.
     3.     *Use a dark stout malt draft (in a bottle) beer.  It gives a much better flavor than just a regular beer.