CORNED BEEF WITH STOUT AND HONEY-MUSTARD GLAZE

Ingredients

• 1 3.5-4 lb. Corned Beef Brisket
• 5 cups stock (beef, chicken or vegetable)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 head garlic, split in half through the stem to expose cloves
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb. baby gold or red potatoes, peeled (optional)
• 6-8 small carrots, peeled
• 1 small head of green cabbage, sliced in half and then into quarters

For the Glaze

• 3/4 cup Stout beer
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon grain mustard
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 tablespoons Irish butter
• 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid from the Corned Beef

Directions

1. Place Corned Beef, stock, bay leaves, garlic and onion into a large sauce pot, dutch oven or crock pot and bring to a low boil on the stove top. Decrease heat to low and cover with a lid. Simmer Corned Beef on low for 3-4 hours or until you can pierce beef with a sharp knife and remove it without resistance.* While the Corned Beef cooks, prepare the glaze base.

2. For the glaze, bring beer to a boil in a small sauce pot and reduce by 3/4 or until about 2 tablespoons are left. Add honey, mustard, and water, bring to a simmer and whisk to combine. Reduce this mixture slightly and set aside until the Corned Beef is done cooking.

3. Add the potatoes, carrots and cabbage to the Corned Beef pot for the last 45 minutes of cooking. You don’t have to worry about over-cooking the Corned Beef, so just make sure the potatoes are cooked through before you move to the next step.

4. When the Corned Beef is done and the vegetables are tender, preheat your oven to 450°. Leave the vegetables in the warm broth with the heat off. While the oven is heating, carefully remove the beef from the pot and transfer to a foil-lined cookie sheet or Pyrex baking dish. If you have a roasting rack or cooling rack, put the rack on the sheet and over the foil. This will give you better caramelization on both sides of the beef.

5. Dry the exterior of the beef with a paper towel and spoon the glaze over it. Save about 2 tablespoons of glaze in the sauce-pot to flavor the final sauce. When the surface is just cool enough to handle, rub the glaze all over the beef so it is evenly coated and place Corned Beef on the foil-lined sheet/dish and into the 450° oven for 15 minutes to set the glaze. Don’t worry if the edges char a bit, the heavy caramelization combined with the bitterness from the beer is insanely good. We like to call this “Erin’s Burt-ends.”

6. While the glaze is doing its thing in the oven, add the 1 1/2 cups of cooking liquid to the glaze pot (with the remaining approx. 2 tablespoons of glaze) and bring to a simmer. When the sauce is simmering, whisk in the butter a small about at a time to incorporate. Check for flavor (it shouldn’t need salt but check it anyway) and set aside in a warm spot until ready to serve.

7. After 15 minutes in the oven, your Corned Beef should be glazed with crispy edges and ready to slice and serve.

8. Carefully slice the Corned Beef and serve on a platter with the vegetables and potatoes. Pour a small amount of the sauce over the beef and serve the remainder on the side.

*This is a great dish to do in an electric slow-cooker. Instead of simmering, just set your slow cooker on low and follow the rest of the steps as described. You can set cooker on the lowest setting and cook for 6-8 hours or on the medium setting and cook for about 4 hours. Just remember to put your vegetables in at about the last 45 minutes and make sure the potatoes are cooked through before serving.