Melt-in-the-mouth silverside
Woe, nothing is as sad as a serving of corned silverside which is a tad on the dry side. I should know, I’ve cooked it that way myself – for years.
Until dinner one winter’s night with my friend Judy, who served fall-apart-in-the-mouth, delicious silverside.
Mine, an easy recipe cooked in the microwave oven, was prone to being a bit chewy, I was informed by my daughter. She was right.
Judy’s even tasted better – the flavours had mingled and blended and it was wonderful.
Served with mashed potato and greens, silverside is an excellent winter dish, that warms you right up.
Served with colcannon (a tradition Irish potato and cabbage dish), it slips into another culinary world. Meanwhile, our microwave is only used to thaw meat.
Considering how it has misled me, this is its own little lesson.
CORNED SILVERSIDE
1.5 kg piece corned silverside
1 large onion
1 carrot
3 Tbsp golden syrup
1 cup vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 lemon, halved
Grind of black pepper
- Soak the silverside in water overnight, drain and discard the water in the morning.
- Peel and roughly chop the onion and carrots. Put all the remaining ingredients into a large pot and just cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, cover tightly, and cook on the lowest possible heat for about four hours.
- Occasionally check the liquid and adjust as needed.
COLCANNON
5 – 6 potatoes
1 Tbsp milk
salt, pepper
150g cabbage, to taste
Half an onion
2 Tbsp butter
- Peel and cut the potatoes into medium-sized pieces. Cook until tender in salted water. Drain. Add milk and mash well. Season to taste.
- Chop the cabbage and boil for about five minutes. Drain.
- Slice the onion and saute in frying pan with butter until brown. Increase the heat, add the potato and cabbage. Fry for a few minutes.
Aged bachelors shortcut on this. We chuck the silverside in a pot with a good splash of vinegar, an onion quartered, perhaps a carrot, A HANDSOME MEASURE OF CLOVES, and simmer for ages. The real secret is the mustard sauce:- Beat an egg with a quarter cup of sugar, add a tablespoon of flour, a teaspoon of dry mustard, pepper and salt, and a cup of corned beef liquid. Cook and stir till it thickens. Corned beef, hot or cold or in sandwiches – marvellous! Keeps us kick’n’.
In awe of the wisdom of aged bachelors. When can we come for dinner?
I cook my silverside in ginger ale. It comes out super delicious
Now that sounds a good idea!