Glazed Corned Beef

We always eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day.  My family enjoys it so much I could serve it more often; I usually manage just once or twice more a year.  My favorite treatment comes from Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery.  The meat is simmered in a crockpot, then brushed several times with a molasses-based glaze as it finishes in the oven.  Delicious!

Glazed Corned Beef, lightly adapted from Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery

1 (3 1/2 to 4#) corned beef brisket (flat cut is best)
2 Tbsp prepared mustard (I use Dijon)
1 1/2 tsp horseradish
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup molasses

• In a slow cooker, cover the corned beef with water.  Cook on low 10-12 hours or until tender.
• Drain the corned beef.  Gently remove the external fat layers.  Place the meat in a baking dish covered with heavy duty aluminum foil.
• Combine the remaining ingredients and brush on all sides of the meat.  Bake at 400, brushing with the sauce several times, about 20 minutes or until the beef begins to brown.  Cut across the grain.

Today I oh-so-gently simmered the corned beef on top of the stove for most of the day.  The 7# slab I bought was still partially frozen, so I didn't want to risk the slowness of the crockpot.  Besides, it's easier to cook the cabbage in the flavored broth already in a cooking pot instead of trying to transfer that liquid from the slow cooker.

Our traditional Irish dinner has always included cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and soda bread.  I've usually boiled all the vegetables, but admittedly they end up tasting pretty bland.  This year I briefly simmered only the cabbage in the corned beef broth, and it picked up a lot of flavor (more than usual--because the stock was made on the stove?).  The carrots were glazed with brown sugar and lemon juice, and I fried the potatoes with onions.  The traditional elements, ramped up just a bit.  Yum!

BTW, the soda bread is an adaptation (Of course; I rarely leave well enough alone!) of my mom's recipe.  I'll try to post that soon.