Brown Sugar & Mustard Glazed Corned Beef

Fork-tender and perfectly seasoned, this succulent oven-braised corned beef roast is finished with a brown sugar and mustard glaze that caramelizes as it bakes to create a glossy, gooey, irresistible crust.

Jump to:

• What's the Story Behind Corned Beef & Cabbage?
• What Goes into this Recipe
• How to Make Oven Braised Corned Beef
• Top Tip: Corned Beef for a Crowd
• FAQ
• What to Serve with Corned Beef
• More St Patrick's Day Recipes
• Brown Sugar & Mustard Glazed Corned Beef

What's the Story Behind Corned Beef & Cabbage?

Nearly ten percent of U.S. citizens (2020) can trace their roots back to early Irish immigrants, my sister and I among them. Beef was an uncommon commodity on most nineteenth-century Irish tables. So how did corned beef become the centerpiece of one of our foremothers' most iconic meals? 

Hey, Renée, you know Corned Beef and Cabbage isn't really Irish, don't you?

_{- My Little (Vegan) Sister}

True. Corned beef and cabbage is not Irish-Irish: it is Irish-American.

Corned beef and cabbage is a dish that emerged as newly immigrated Irish-Americans, influenced by both poverty and their equally impoverished Jewish neighbors, transformed their traditional pork and potato dish into what we in the U.S. now think as the quintessential St Patrick's Day meal.

What Goes into this Recipe

Braised Beef

Corned Beef: Buy the best cut of corned beef you can afford. While we were testing this recipe, we used corned beef from a number of different providers and brands, from top shelf to low budget, and we can confirm that quality does make a significant and notable difference.

Among other issues, cheaper, mass produce corned beef tends to be much higher in sodium, and the results can be too salty.

For the best corned beef we've ever made or eaten, we used Wagyu corned beef purchased at Costco. (Wagyu loosely translates to "Japanese cattle.") Wagyu corned beef is made from the brisket cut of a Japanese Angus cow known as Tajima, a breed whose meat is coveted for its superior marbling. If you can find it and afford it, you will not regret buying it.

Pickling Spices: Most corned beef briskets come with a tiny package of pickling spices; not enough for braising. Our Wagyu brisket was the first one we've had that came with ample quality pickling spices. If your corned beef comes with one of those salt-packet sized pickling spice bags, do yourself a favor and pick up some pickling spices in the bulk section or in the spice aisle.

Beer: We recommend using an amber ale, pale ale, or light brown ale for the braising liquid. Avoid IPA's or anything at all hoppy at all cost: they will make your corned beef bitter. We once tried using a stronger chocolate ale, but found that it overpowered the corned beef flavor too much.

If you avoid cooking with alcohol, you can substitute apple juice or water for the beer.

Glaze

Mustard: We recommend using whole grain mustard for the glaze. Our current favorite is a 1:1 combo of honey mustard and an amazing Bourbon Molasses Mustard (Stonewall Kitchen). Use whatever mustards you enjoy.

Bourbon: The bourbon enhances the beefs flavor as it breaks down the enzymes in meat, acting as a final sweetening and tenderizing agent. Cola makes a decent substitute.

Butter: We use salted butter.

Brown sugar: Use light brown sugar.

How to Make Oven Braised Corned Beef

Braising

Braising is a two-step cooking technique that includes of searing and then cooking meat or vegetables slowly in liquid in a sealed vessel. Unlike stewing, braised meat and vegetables are not completely covered with liquid.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).

Before starting, confirm that your corned beef will easily fit into your Dutch oven (or skillet). If it seems like it needs more room, use a bigger pan.

Heat the Dutch oven over MEDIUM-HIGH until a drop of water sizzles on it. Add the canola oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.

Carefully place the corned beef in the hot oil and sear on one side for 3-4 minutes. Turn the corned beef over and sear the other side for 3-4 minutes.

Try to sear the sides as well, including any fat layers. The shape of the roast will dictate how well you can sear the sides.

Remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Pour the beer (or water) in around the seared corned beef and allow any foam to dissipate. Pour the carrot chunks and slice onions around the corned beef, and sprinkle in the pickling spices.

Cover the Dutch oven and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 3 to 3½ hours at 325°F | 163°C.

Remove the roast from the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°-165°F | 71°-74°C. (The best way to check for doneness is to use an instant-read thermometer.)

We do not recommend serving the carrots and onions used in this recipe. Their primary purpose is to add flavor and absorb excess salt. After baking the corned beef, they tend to be too mushy and too salty to enjoy. 

Glazing

While the corned beef is baking, prepare the glaze.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over MEDIUM-LOW heat. Whisk in brown sugar, mustard, and bourbon (or water) and allow the mixture to come to a boil.

Reduce the heat and and hold at a rolling boil for about 5 minutes, until the foam on top has dissipated and the glaze is shiny and smooth. Remove the glaze from heat.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, or foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Remove the corned beef from the Dutch oven or clay baker, and place it on the baking sheet.

If the corned beef has a fat layer on one of the flat sides, place the fat-side down for the sake of presentation later.

Using a basting brush, glaze the corned beef generously. Place the glazed corned beef in oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes, reglazing every 10 minutes.

The internal temperature of the corned beef after glazing should be 190°-200°F | 88°-93°C. The glaze should be sticky and caramelized.

Remove corned beef from oven and allow to rest at least 15 minutes before serving.

Top Tip: Corned Beef for a Crowd

If you are preparing a lot of corned beef (as we do on St Patrick’s Day), a clay baker is a good alternative to baking it in a Dutch oven.

For each 3-4 pound cut of corned beef, use about one beer, one pound of carrots, and one sliced onion.

Sear each corned beef cut one at a time in a Dutch oven or skillet, and then transfer to a large clay baker and proceed. (My clay baker will hold up to three 3-4 pound corned beef roasts.)

Cold clay should never be put into a hot oven. If you use a covered clay baker instead of a Dutch oven for baking, put the baker into the oven before preheating. 

In a side-by-side test, cooking two similar corned beef briskets; one in a Dutch oven and one in a covered clay baker, the only noticeable difference between the two was that the roast in the clay baker cooked a bit faster than the one in the Dutch oven.

FAQ

What to Serve with Corned Beef

For our annual St Patrick's Day dinner always includes a mountain of "once-a-year" mashed potatoes*, sautéed corn and cabbage, and soda bread. Most years, I also add something fun, like layered jello or carrot salad.

More St Patrick's Day Recipes

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