Glazed Corned Beef

I know I'm a few days late posting a recipe for this St. Patrick's Day favorite but we didn't have our corned beef until the day after the holiday this year.

This wonderful new recipe is so worthy of preparing anytime of the year that I couldn't wait for another year before sharing it with you. So, if you love corned beef, I would encourage you to try this offering from San Francisco A La Carte, one of my favorite old cookbooks.

I would encourage using a low-salt corned beef round, not the less expensive point cut. The round is very lean, with very little waste, and can be basted with the sauce on all sides but the bottom. The sauce becomes a beautiful glaze with excellent flavor. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 6- to 10-pound corned beef brisket (see note)
12 peppercorns, lightly crushed (use a meat mallet)
2 bay leaves
1 large onion, studded with 8 whole cloves
2 cloves garlic, bruised (crush slightly with a meat mallet or large knife)

Glaze:
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. dry mustard
1 tbsp. cider vinegar

1. Place corned beef in a large pot with peppercorns, bay leaves, onion, garlic, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, skim off any scum that rises to the top, lower heat, and simmer, covered, for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until tender.
2. Cool meat in the cooking water. This will take 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
3. Combine all the glaze ingredients.
4. Transfer the corned beef to a roasting pan and coat the top with the glaze.
5. Bake uncovered, basting every 15 minutes, in a preheated 300 degree oven for 1 hour.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings
Note: For two of us, I purchased a 3-1/4 pound corned beef and used the same amount of seasoning in the cooking broth for the best flavor. I cut the glaze ingredients in half. This worked beautifully. The sauce will drip down into the pan as it melts and can then be brushed on the sides of the beef with a pastry brush.