Mustard Braised Corned Beef Brisket
Robin Friday, April 1, 2011 at 12:02PM 
I’ve only ever had corned beef brisket once before. It was sometime around St. Patrick’s Day a few years ago while living in Monterey, CA. We stopped into an Irish bar for dinner and I assumed it would be delicious – Irish bar, St. Paddy’s, corned beef – what could go wrong?
Well, aside from the rather delicious Guinness there weren’t too many redeeming qualities. It was tough, dry, and bland. A washed out pink-y color with a hint of shoe leather and a bouquet of meh.
I decided that this year I’d try making my own, even if I didn’t finally get around to it until the day after St. Paddy’s. While I was searching around the internets looking for methods of preparation I discovered that the cooking style of choice was boiling.
Boiling?
Who boils meat?
Poaching? Yes. Steaming? I suppose. Boiling? No, not so much.
I decided to take the middle of the road and slather the top of the brisket with some whole grain mustard and braise it real low and slow for a couple of hours. The result? Intensely flavorful, beautifully fragrant, fork tender brisket.
Yes, please.
Mustard Braised Corned Beef Brisket
3 lb. corned beef brisket (preferably Animal Welfare Approved)
1/3 cup whole grain mustard
Preheat oven to 300⁰F
Slather the fatty side of the brisket with the mustard. Place in a dutch oven with a tight fitting lid and cook for 2 ½ hours, or until the brisket is fork tender. Slice against the grain and serve.
Reader Comments (2)
That's unfortunate that your first experience with corned beef was a bad one. When it's done right I agree with you, the flavors are intense. I've got two in the freezer from the March sales and will slather one of them with mustard. Great idea.
REALLY? You'd NEVER had corned beef? Huh. I love it, and yes, I boil the hell out of it. That way it flavors the water you then use to cook the potatoes and carrots and cabbage. Mmmm, salty, fatty yumminess.