Honey Mustard Corned Beef And Cabbage Recipe

Despite the fact that it's not really Irish, corned beef and cabbage is typically dished up as part of any typical American St. Patrick's Day celebration. However, if you're a corned beef lover like recipe developer Erin Johnson, "This brisket is perfect for any day — not just St. Patrick's Day!" The honey mustard glaze adds some sweetness and tang to the briny beef, while the cabbage and potatoes are traditional sides. As a bonus, Johnson notes, "The leftovers make a delicious corned beef sandwich or Reuben," and can also be used in corned beef hash.

If you haven't cooked corned beef before, Johnson says that there's one thing you'll need to be aware of. "Corned beef has a lot of salt in it because of the brine," she points out, so you don't need to add any salt to the pot. The salt in the meat will affect the vegetables, too, which is why Johnson tells us, "I do not add salt and pepper to the potatoes or cabbage until it has cooked to avoid over-salting." Wait until you remove the vegetables from the slow cooker, then taste them and season them if necessary.

For this recipe, be sure to buy the kind of corned beef that comes complete with a seasoning packet, otherwise you may wind up with some pretty bland meat. You'll also need cabbage, of course (the green kind) as well as potatoes and onions. The glaze consists of honey, brown sugar, and mustard. Johnson notes, "I prefer stone ground mustard, but you can use any mustard that you like."

Begin by putting the potatoes and onions into the slow cooker. Johnson remarks, "I like to use small potatoes that I don't need to cut into pieces," but says you can also use large potatoes cut into 2-inch chunks. As she explains, "You want [the chunks] to be larger so that they don't overcook."

Put the corned beef on top of the vegetables, sprinkle it with the seasoning from the packet, then add water right up to the top of the meat. With the slow cooker set on high, you'll need to cook the meat for 5 hours. If you cook it on low, it should take 7 hours.

Once the timer goes "ding," take the meat out of the slow cooker and put the cabbage in. Cook the cabbage, along with the onions and potatoes, for 20 minutes on high then set the slow cooker to warm if you won't be eating the vegetables right away.

As the cabbage is cooking, broil the corned beef with the fat side up for about 3 to 5 minutes until it gets nice and brown. Mix the honey, sugar, and mustard, then brush this glaze over the meat. Put it back under the broiler for another 3 minutes until the sugar has crystallized and looks sticky.

Let the corned beef sit for 10 minutes, then slice it against the grain. Dish up the meat along with the vegetables, seasoning the latter with salt and pepper if needed. You can add pepper to the beef, too, but it probably won't need any salt.