Ask A Los Angeles Chef: Best Corned Beef And Cabbage Recipes

The traditional corned beef and cabbage meal dates back to the 1600s, a popular dish with both the English and Irish. Originally used to preserve the meat, 'corned' signifies 'corns of salt' or large rock-salt kernels that cover the meat after it is put into a large crock pot. Corned beef starts with a brisket cut of beef that is cured in a brine. The pickled beef is finished off by boiling on the stovetop with cabbage, carrots and potatoes. The iconic L.A. delicatessen Factor's Famous Deli knows its corned beef and cabbage. Customers have been visiting this restaurant for more than 65 years.

Chef Silverio Perez
Factor's Famous Deli
9420 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 278-9175
www.factorsdeli.com

Chef Silverio Perez, who began working at Factor's in 1981, started as a busboy, and today is head chef. He oversees all aspects of the deli including the new hot lunch program for two local schools, purchasing the food ingredients and managing the specialty food for Factor's catering division. Chef Perez takes pride in Factor's traditional corned beef and cabbage, and shares the deli's recipe. While Factor's purchases its corned beef already in a brine, Chef Perez has outlined what at-home kitchens need to make their own brine.

• Brisket of beef (4-5 lbs)
• Salt water (1 gallon water and 2 cups of Kosher salt)
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 3 Bay leaves
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of peppercorns
• 1 pinch of ground cloves
• 4 tablespoons of pickling spices (found at most grocery stores)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, boil the brine water with all of the spices and salt. 
2. Simmer until salt and sugar are dissolved. 
3. Let cool. 
4. Place in refrigerator.
5. Once cool, place brisket in salted and spiced water.
6. Let it cure for 5-7 days in the refrigerator.

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Corned Beef Recipe
Ingredients:

• Pickled brisket
• Water
• Chicken stock
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

Directions:

1. When Perez and his kitchen are ready to cook the pickled meat, they cover the brisket with water and chicken stock to add extra flavor to the meat.
2. Add 1 roughly chopped carrot, 1 chopped celery stalk and a chopped medium yellow onion.
3. After the meat is very tender, take it out of the pot to cool.
4. When ready to serve it up, Chef Perez heats it again in the oven and then drops it into the Factor's Deli steam table where the meat is softened even more.

Cabbage Recipe
Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage
• Meat liquid from corned beef

Directions:

1. Drop cabbage head into meat (with the chicken stock liquid) liquid to boil.
2. Once soft, slice and serve with corned beef.

To serve:

1. At Factor's, corned beef and cabbage is served with a boiled potato on the side. 
2. It is great with a variety of deli mustards. 
3. The cabbage complements the corned beef and the mustards (the best is seeded deli mustard or sweet hot mustard) add the perfect final touch to this traditional dish.

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