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.
Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). 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.
Braise the Corned Beef
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.
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, or until the corned beef is fork tender.
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.)
Make Glaze
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 simmer for 5 minutes, until it looks like glaze. Remove glaze from heat.
Glaze Corned Beef
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, paint the corned beef generously with the prepared glaze. Place the glazed corned beef in oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes, generously 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.
Remove corned beef from oven and allow to rest at least 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
If you are preparing a lot of corned beef (as I do on St Patrick’s Day), a clay baker is a great alternative to baking it in a Dutch oven.
Sear each corned beef cut one at a time in a skillet, and then transfer to a large clay baker and proceed to the next step.
For each 3-4 pound cut of corned beef, use one beer, one pound of carrots, and one sliced onion.
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. 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.