Tour of Fifty States: New Hampshire's meal

This week’s meal was from New Hampshire.  When I think of New Hampshire, I think of cold winters and maple syrup.  So I found a hearty, rib-sticking meal that would be great on a cold winter’s night.  And it’s May in South Carolina!  LOL!  We liked it anyway.  :)

Menu:  Corned Beef and Cabbage, Maple Orange Glazed Carrots, Apple Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Next day:  Corned Beef Hash for breakfast

Outcome:  Oh my, we just loved the corned beef.  I’m glad that I followed the pre-step of the recipe, which is to boil the meat in clean water twice to remove some of the salt.  It was still a little salty, but not too much.  The star of the show, surprisingly, was the cabbage!  The recipe I used is for sautéing the cabbage in a little oil (maybe a little bacon grease got in the pan, too, just maybe.)  We liked that the cabbage had browned bits and still a little al dente crunch to it.  In fact, Bridget went back for seconds … and at the end of the meal, she asked, “Does anyone mind if I finish the cabbage?”   OF COURSE NOT!  Hey, if kids ask for veggies, by all means, I’m not gonna stand in their way! 

The carrots were good, but the cupcakes were just “eh”.  I may have used the wrong kind of apple, but they weren’t appley or mapley tasting at all…and yes, I did get real maple syrup.  They tasted like they came from a box, really.  The icing was really good, and the little pieces of bacon on top were super.  I think I’ll use Granny Smith apples if I make these again, and dice the apples rather than grating them.  A little maple extract instead of maple syrup would kick these up a notch, too. 

Two weeks ago we had corned beef and cabbage (sauerkraut), when we had Reuben sandwiches…and when Brandi pulled the next slip from the bag, it was for Vermont.  Guess what?  Corned beef and cabbage again!  (New England Boiled Dinner.) So for the first time, we had a re-draw.  Not that we don’t like corned beef!  We just want to mix it up a little.

Also, the next morning I diced up the rest of the corned beef and added it to some fried taters...mmmm Red Flannel Hash!  

Next up:  Brandi’s turn!  She chose New York!

New Hampshire's meal

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients

Corned Beef

• 3 lb. corned beef (in package)
• 10 whole cloves
• ¼ cup hot sweet honey mustard
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Cabbage

• Olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large head of cabbage, sliced 3/8" to ½" wide
• Salt

Directions

Corned Beef

1. Pre-step: corned beef can be very salty, especially when baked. To remove some of the salt before cooking, cover with water, bring to a boil, discard the water, add fresh water and bring to a boil again, again discarding the water. Then proceed.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain the corned beef from the package and discard the spice packet. Lay corned beef, fat side up, on a large piece of heavy duty, wide, aluminum foil (you may have to get creative with the way you wrap the beef if your foil isn't wide enough). Insert the cloves into the top of the slab of corned beef, evenly spaced. Spread the top with the hot sweet honey mustard. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top.
3. Wrap the corned beef with foil in a way that allows for a little space on top between the corned beef and the foil, and creates a container to catch the juices. Place foil-wrapped corned beef in a shallow roasting pan and bake for 2 hours.
4. Open the foil wrapping, spread a little more hot sweet mustard over the top of the corned beef, and broil it for 2-3 minutes, until the top is bubbly and lightly browned. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then place on cutting board and cut at a diagonal, across the grain of the meat, into 1/2-inch thick slices.

MMMM Mustardy crust on the corned beef!

Cabbage

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil (enough to well coat the pan) on medium high to high heat in a large, wide pot (8-quart if available) or large, high-sided sauté pan. Add chopped onions, cook for a couple of minutes, and then add garlic.
2. Add a third of the sliced cabbage to the pan. Sprinkle with a little salt and stir to coat with oil and mix with onions. 
3. Spread out the cabbage evenly over the bottom of the pan and do not stir until it starts to brown. If the heat is high enough, this should happen quickly. The trick is to have the burner hot enough to easily brown the cabbage, but not so hot that it easily burns. When the bottom of the cabbage is nicely browned, use a metal spatula to lift it up and flip it, scraping the browned bits as you go.
4. Once the cabbage in the pan has browned on a couple of flips, add another third of the cabbage to the pan. Mix well, then spread out the cabbage and repeat. You may need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan to help with the browning, and to keep the cabbage from sticking too much to the pan. Once this batch has cooked down a bit and browned, add the remaining third of the cabbage and repeat.

Serve with the corned beef.

Just look at that yummy cabbage!

Maple Orange Glazed Carrots 

If you double the recipe, you may need to increase the heat or cooking time to help the glaze reduce.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. carrots, peeled, sliced into ¼" thick rounds
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• ½ tsp. orange zest
• Pinch cinnamon

Directions

1. In a large, wide sauté pan, heat the butter on medium heat until melted. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Cook for 3-4 minutes then add the maple syrup. Cook for a minute more, and then add the orange juice. Cover the pan and cook for 3 more minutes.
2. Uncover the pan and increase the heat to medium high. Stir the carrots occasionally, and cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
3. Sprinkle cinnamon over the carrots and stir in the orange zest.

Serves 6.

Apple Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 8 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. bacon drippings (left in the fridge to become solid)
• 2 eggs
• 10 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 8 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 ½ cups self-rising flour 
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• tiny pinch kosher salt
• ½ cup milk
• 8 slices bacon
• 2 peeled, cored, grated apples

  

  The cast of characters

Directions

1. Cook the bacon. Reserve the drippings and place in the fridge to solidify. Mince 6 of the slices. Crumble the other two and set aside.
2. Beat the butter and solidified bacon fat until light and creamy. Add the brown sugar and maple syrup and beat well until combined.
3. Add the eggs and beat until incorporated.
4. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and powder together.
5. Add some of the flour and mix, and then some of the milk, then continue to alternate the dry and wet ingredients, ending with the dry. Mix until just combined.
6. Fold in the bacon and grated apple. Taste and add more maple syrup, flour, or milk if needed for desired taste and consistency. Keep in mind the maple frosting is very sweet, and to add in very small increments for alterations as maple syrup in large amounts can break a cake batter.
7. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake at 350 F for 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Be sure to rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes for even baking.

Makes 16.  

Maple Syrup Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 Tbsp. butter, room temp
• 4 Tbsp. cream cheese, softened
• 4 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Apple Maple Bacon Cupcakes

1. Combine the syrup, cream cheese, and butter until combined. Add the sugar, a bit at a time, and whip at high speeds until combined and fluffy. 
2. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes. 
3. Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon.

Bonus picture:

Red Flannel Hash sizzling away!