Glazed Corned Beef

Jamie Stolper

This is a wonderful dish to serve company, because it is easy to make, can be made in advance, and is not a run-of-the-mill entrée. It is great for fancy buffets or casual sandwich meals and will elicit oohs and aahs from your guests, guaranteed. Serve the corned beef with a good quality roll, half-sour pickles, and, on Chanukah, potato latkes and applesauce.

Thanks to Julie's Auntie Barbara for the basic recipe. She cooks the corned beef in a pressure cooker, as do I, but you can also make it in a regular pot. The ingredients for the glaze are not hard and fast. Try adding a few teaspoons of a bottled sweet and tangy glaze, a half-cup of pineapple juice (instead of some of the ginger ale), or, to dress up the dish, canned pineapple or mandarin oranges. The sugar and fruit will add sweetness, the mustard provides the tang, and the overall effect is pure gustatory delight.

Ingredients

4-5 pounds fresh corned beef brisket
(use single cut for all lean meat)
1 large onion, quartered
4 whole cloves
8 peppercorns
3 whole cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic)
8 ounces ginger ale
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 scant teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (or 2 heaping teaspoons bottled mustard)
2 teaspoons flour

Place the corned beef on a rack in a pressure cooker. Add the onion, cloves, peppercorns, garlic, and water to cover. Cover, bring to pressure, and cook with regulator rocking slowly for 30 minutes. Let pressure fall, uncover, and cool the meat in the liquid to minimize shrinkage. If you are pressed for time, cook the meat for 40 minutes, let pressure fall, and remove meat to a cutting board to cool. If you don't use a pressure cooker, place the meat and seasonings in a large pot with water to cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for about 3 hours, or until the meat is tender; remove from the liquid and cool.

Trim remaining fat from the brisket. Slice thinly across the grain and place in an ovenproof serving dish. Pour ginger ale (and, if using, pineapple juice) over the meat. Combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, and flour in a small bowl. Spread on top of the meat. (Arrange pineapple or mandarin oranges on the meat, if using.)

Bake in a 350-degree oven, uncovered, for one hour, basting frequently. Serve warm or at room temperature. Once cooled, you may refrigerate or freeze the corned beef. To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and cook in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

This recipe makes 8-10 servings.