My Mama's Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned beef and cabbage is one of my favorite meals so I prepare it several times around St. Patrick's Day and always freeze extra prepackaged pieces of corned beef for future use.  Dinner with traditional cabbage, potatoes and carrots is everybody's favorite and the leftovers are so, so good in sandwiches and corned beef hash.  Cooking the perfect corned beef is a simple process:  just cover it with water and simmer in a large pot until  tender. I tried the crock pot method for the first time and I doubt I'll ever cook one on top of the stove again.

I put lots of peeled carrots, 2 chopped onions and a handful of parsley sprigs on the bottom of the pot, laid the corned beef on top, sprinkled on the spice packet and added enough water to cover.  I set the temperature on high for two hours, then turned it to low for an additional 7 hours.  The crock pot works so well because the water never boils, it just gently simmers.

When the meat is ready to serve I trim the fat off the top and spread it with a mixture of 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, a dash of cloves and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.  Place under the broiler until the sugar is melted and crusty. You will be amazed at how much flavor this adds to the corned beef.  This was my mother's trick and I couldn't imagine serving corned beef any other way.

Save out a tablespoon of the sugar mustard mixture, add a tablespoon or two of melted butter and toss with the carrots just before serving. I pour a little melted butter over the cabbage and pass a cruet of cider vinegar for those who like that combination of flavors. Arrange meat slices and vegetables (I add boiled new potatoes too) and serve.

Last year I found this fantastic horseradish sauce at How To Cook a Wolf.  Linda's recipe is perfect with corned beef and cabbage and I love it with prime rib as well.  This delicious sauce and the sugar-mustard glaze on the corned beef will add a whole new dimension to this traditional Irish dinner.

Horseradish Cream Sauce...from Linda at How to Cook a Wolf

This makes 2 cups of sauce.  The recipe can easily be halved or quartered, as needed.

3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup prepared horseradish, drained
2 T. Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Whip cream in bowl until it forms soft peaks. Combine mayonnaise, horseradish, and mustard in another bowl. Fold in whipped cream. Add sugar, salt and pepper. Stir well, and transfer to serving bowl.

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