Meet the Beef

• Corned beef is made from some of the toughest cuts on the steer, usually the plate or brisket. They're muscles with long, chewy fibers that make firm slices when neatly cut across the grain. The beef is heavily salted to preserve it, and must be simmered to make it palatable. The hot water draws both salt and flavor from the beef, creating an excellent cooking medium for the vegetables. Unfortunately the spices that accompany the beef don't always play nicely with vegetables.

The Seasoning Mixture

• The mixture of spices accompanying your corned beef vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but typically include black pepper, coriander, bay leaves and mustard seed. They enhance the meat -- especially if the leftovers will be used in sandwiches -- but can be a bit much when they're also in the accompanying vegetables. Enjoying their flavors in your meat but not the rest of the meal requires a bit of organization, but it's not difficult.

Add Another Pot

• The simplest strategy is to start the corned beef without the spice mixture. The beef must simmer for hours to become tender, and will release a great deal of flavor even during the first hour. At some point around that time, when the cooking water has begun to smell nicely aromatic, fill a second pot with the vegetables and pour in enough of the broth to cover them. Top up the corned beef with fresh hot water, and add the spice packet. The beef will cook with the spices, while your vegetables will have just the flavor of the beef.

Finishing Up

• When the corned beef finally becomes fork-tender, after up to four hours of cooking, bring your vegetables to a boil. Lift the corned beef from its pot and drain it well, then let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes on its serving tray. If the vegetables are not cooked by that time, keep the beef warm in your oven until they're ready. Drain the vegetables -- the broth can be retained for soup, if you wish -- and serve them with slices of the hot beef.