Glazed Corned Beef (Two Glazes)

First-cut corned beef simmered with an onion until fork-tender, studded with cloves and glazed in a hot oven with apricot-honey-Sabra or brown sugar and Gulden's mustard. Serves 8 to 12.

From the recipe book of Sandra Mills, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained cook in our family.

Steak and Seafood title card for Glazed Corned Beef (Two Glazes), photo coming soon
  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 3 hr 15 min
  • Total 3 hr 30 min
  • Yield 8 to 12 servings (5 pounds first cut)

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Sandra Mills includes two versions of this glaze because, as she says, they are both delicious, and it is a great meat course for a buffet. The corned beef simmers with a whole onion, with the water changed after two hours, until a fork goes through the center easily.

Then it is studded with cloves and glazed: either apricot preserves, honey and Sabra liqueur, or brown sugar and Gulden's brown mustard with optional pineapple slices, and caramelized in a 450°F oven.

Ingredients

Corned beef

  • 5 pounds first cut corned beef
  • 1 whole onion
  • Whole cloves, to stud the meat

Topping I

  • 1 cup apricot preserves
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup Sabra Liqueur

Topping II

  • 1 cup hard packed brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup Gulden's brown mustard
  • Pineapple slices (optional)

Instructions

  1. Rinse. Rinse the corned beef under running water.
  2. Simmer. Place it in a large pot, cover with cold water, add the whole onion and bring to a boil. After 2 hours, take the meat out, change the water and cook until soft enough for a fork to go through the center.
  3. Drain. Drain the cooked meat, discard the onion and place in a baking pan.
  4. Glaze. Stud the corned beef with cloves. Combine the ingredients for the topping of your choice and spread it over the meat. For Topping II you can also put pineapple slices on the meat.
  5. Caramelize. Place in a 450°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the glaze has caramelized.
  6. Serve. Slice across the grain. Corned beef does shrink when cooked; 5 pounds of first cut makes 8 to 12 servings.

Tips

  • First cut (flat cut) corned beef is leaner and slices more neatly than the point.
  • Remove the cloves before slicing, or warn your guests.

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