Corned Beef and Cabbage

OK, so now for the most traditional and classic Irish dish of all: Corned Beef and Cabbage. The king of St. Patrick's Day (well maybe Queen, Guinness is probably King).  I always had a bad impression of corned beef and cabbage and never wanted to try it. Something about the way the cabbage smells I think.  But I ate it at a friend's house a couple years ago to be polite, and actually really enjoyed it! So, this year I decided to make it myself and see how it turns out.  The ingredients are:

1 package corned beef (about 3 lbs) with spice packet (I got this at our local supermarket, Wegmans. They had a whole display of corned beef with the spice packet included.  I'm not sure if this was just seasonal, but I assume it was since I don't remember seeing it any other time of year).
Carrots, about 10
1 large head of cabbage (I used Savoy Cabbage)
1 can beer
salt
pepper
olive oil

Start by taking the corned beef out of the package and rinsing. Pat with paper towels to dry. Put the corned beef in a large pot, and cover with water. Add contents of spice package that was included in the packaging. Also add 1 can/bottle of beer (this is optional).  Add carrots to the pot; I had peeled and cut them in half previously.  Put on medium heat to boil.  Let it simmer for 1.5 hours. After 1.5 hours, check on the carrots and corned beef. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the meat; if not, add more water.  At this point, cut the cabbage into wedges and add to the pot. Again add more water to ensure everything is covered.  Add a little salt (there is already salt in the spice pack) and some pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.   Let simmer for another 1.5 hours.  Total cook time will be about 3 to 3.5 hours.  The more corned beef you have, the longer it will take.  My corned beef package was a little over 3 lbs (3.24) and I cooked it for 3.5 hours.  When you are ready to serve, use a slotted spoon and a fork to help, and put the corned beef on a large platter. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  I also used the slotted spoon to get the cabbage and carrots out of the pot and arranged around the corned beef.  I then sliced the corned beef at an angle and against the grain.  The meat should be very tender! To finish off the dish, I drizzled with a little olive oil over the top, and served!