Happy St. Patrick’s Day!   Corned beef is very possibly the most traditional thing that you can eat on St. Patrick’s Day.  Traditionally, it is boiled, or baked and then served with potatoes and/or cabbage, and it is a very good thing.

It’s maybe not the most exciting thing to eat, but it is warm, and comforting, and what my mother would call “stick to your ribs” food.  It’s great, but last year I decided to try something a little different.  I found this recipe, courtesy of All Recipes and decided to give it a whirl.  Holy Smokes!

Everybody listen up, this recipe will CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Okay, that might be slightly dramatic; but only slightly.  It is seriously one of the most delicious things I have ever tried. It has only three ingredients, takes less than five minutes to prepare, and is even kid-friendly.  The first time I ever made this, I did it in the crock pot.  The kids came home from school, and wanted to know what was cooking.  I showed them the corned beef, and they literally cried.  Cried because their cruel mother was going to make them eat weird food, that they hadn’t eaten before.  I couldn’t believe it. Were they toddlers, acting in such a ridiculous way? Were they  three years old? Or even four? No, they were ten, eight, and six.  Ridiculous.  So after a combination of well-reasoned arguments, logical explanations, and then finally, a series of dire threats, they tried it.  Still sniffling, telling me how mean I was, and loudly proclaiming, how they were only going to take “ONE BITE, only one bite, and then NO MORE!”   They tried it, and they loved it.  Actually, loved it doesn’t really cover it.  They inhaled it, and demanded seconds.  There was not much left after the plague of locusts that I call my children got through with it.  And as good as it was that night; it was even better the next day when we reheated it for lunch.  So seriously, make this as soon as you can.  The next time I make this, I may throw a few carrots and potatoes into it while it cooks, just for fun, and flavor, but it really doesn’t need a single thing done to it.  I served it with smashed red potatoes, and a salad, but it would go beautifully with just about any side dishes that you  like!

Guinness Corned Beef

1 approximately 4 lb. corned beef brisket (with packet of corning spices)

1 cup brown sugar

1 12 oz. bottle of Guinness stout

Directions:

Combine the brown sugar, and Guinness in a heavy dutch oven, and stir gently until the brown sugar has dissolved.  Add the packet of corning spices that comes with the corned beef, and stir.  Put the corned beef in the pot, and bake for 2-3 hours in a 300 degree oven, until tender.  If you would like to cook it in a slow cooker (highly recommended, by the way,) prepare as above, and just start it in the slow cooker early in the day, and cook on low for 7-8 hours.