Yep. It is THAT time of year again. They dyed the Chicago River green over the weekend; so that means I will be making my corned beef on Thursday.
But…
My corned beef is cooked twice – first in the slow cooker in beer, and then in the oven with a barbecue glaze. If you want to approximate the more usual corned beef and cabbage, you could place the corned beef on a bed of sliced sweet potatoes before baking.
As for the cabbage, with a dinner like this, it has to be Coleslaw.
INGREDIENTS
Corned Beef:
•1 (3-1/2 lb) corned beef (flat cut)
•2 sweet onions, coarsely chopped
•1 bottle beer
Peachy Keen Barbecue Sauce:
•12 oz Barbecue Sauce
•8 oz Pepper Relish
•1 can sliced peaches
Optional:
•Yellow or sweet potato, peeled and sliced,
Note: feel free to use your own fave barbecue sauce, with or without the added pepper relish and peaches.
Scatter the chopped onion over the bottom of your slow cooker and arrange the corned beef on top.
Pour the beer over the top, then cover and cook on Low for four hours.
Note: you can do this the day before.
Remove the corned beef from the slow cooker and discard the beer and onion.
If making ahead, store the corned beef inn the fridge and bring to room temperature before finishing in the oven.
When ready to finish the corned beef, heat your oven to 250º and arrange the yellow or sweet potatoes in the bottom of an 11×13 inch baking dish, then top with the beef.
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil, then pop into the hot oven and bake for 90 minutes.
While the corned beef is baking, make your barbecue sauce by combining the ingredients in a blender and pulsing until blended and smooth.
Note: an immersion blender works a treat here in place of a regular blender.
After 90 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven, discard the foil, and brush the corned beef with your barbecue sauce.
Return the baking dish to the oven uncovered, and bake for another 40 minutes or so, until the the beef is nicely glazed.
Remove from the oven and let rest for ten minutes before slicing.
This really is a great way to prepare corned beef, and the two part cooking process gives you a tender beef that is also not swimming in the fat-laden braising liquid, which has never sat too, too well on my stomach.
And remember, feel free to use store bought barbecue sauce and pepper relish, or, just use your preferred sauce and skip the relish and peaches…
though they are a nice addition.