lid, and cook slowly for 2 to 3 hours or until the meat is tender. Then add the diced potatoes and carrots, and cook until tender.
If the stew is not thick enough, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour to a smooth paste with an equal quantity of cold water. To the paste add several spoonfuls of the stew, then stir the mixture into the rest of the stew and cook until smooth and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Select 3 to 4 pounds of corned beef. Wash the meat. Put on to cook in cold water, bring to the boiling point to take out excess salt, then drain. Cover the meat again with about 4 quarts of water, and let it simmer until tender—about 3 to 4 hours. If possible, let the meat cool for an hour or more in the broth, then remove it. Meat cooked in water is juicier if cooled in the broth. If the liquid is too salty, pour off part of it and add sufficient fresh water to have at least 3 pints of well-flavored broth. To this add whole onions, and if they are very large, cook them about 20 minutes before putting in whole turnips, carrots, and potatoes. Lastly add a head of cabbage, cut in sections down through the center stalk so that the pieces will keep their shape. Cook until all the vegetables are tender. Reheat the meat. Serve the boiled dinner on a large platter, with the meat in the center and the vegetables drained and placed neatly around it (see cover). Serve with grated horseradish, if desired.
Simmer 3 to 4 pounds of corned beef brisket in water to cover for 3 or 4 hours or until the meat is tender. If the corned beef is very salty change the water several times. While the meat is hot, separate gristle and excess fat from the lean. Line a bread pan with tough paper or a strip of cheesecloth, lay the pieces of lean meat in the pan so that the fibers of the meat run lengthwise, and add about ½ cup of the meat broth. Cover the meat with paper or cheesecloth, and press it down with a heavily weighted pan or board. Chill overnight. Turn the pressed meat out of the pan, slice very thin across the grain, and serve with horseradish sauce or a spicy relish.
The hock end of a ham, the picnic shoulder, and the boneless shoulder butt, are all good low-cost cuts of cured, smoked pork.
Scrub the meat before cooking. Cover with cold water and simmer (do not boil) until the meat is tender. Allow 3 to 4 hours for the hock end of a ham or for a picnic shoulder, and 2 to 2½ hours for a boneless shoulder butt. A whole ham usually requires about 25 minutes to the pound. If possible, let the meat cool for an hour or more in the broth.
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