The Month for Corned Beef

Prolific Oven corned beef lunch - $7.95

March is the month for corned beef. Restaurants offer generous portions in celebration of St. Patrick's Day, and supermarkets display shelves upon shelves of packaged slabs. When I'm in a hurry I throw all the ingredients--corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots--in a pot to make a simple New England boiled dinner.

It's well worth taking the extra time, however, to roast the corned beef. Roasting seals in the juices, and the method yields not only a delicious dinner but also the main ingredient for tender sandwiches.

One third of the roasted brisket still remains from St. Patrick's Day. It will be gone by next week Monday, when the month for corned beef will come to a satisfying close.