Slow Cooker Corned Beef - Because That's How Those Irish Peasants Did It

Right...those Irish peasants that didn't have anything but potatoes to eat until they all rotted. They were then like Maria in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, who had no food as a child. If they produced any beef at all, they probably sold it to pay the rent to those damned Orangemen. The cost of meat in the 18th and 19th century would have been prohibitive to many Irish. Meat had been preserved in various forms for centuries, either with salt or smoke and Ireland did produce quite a lot of the precursor to corned beef as we know it today. But immigrants began to be able to afford it in America (from Wikipedia): 

Some say it was not until the wave of 18th century Irish immigration to the United States that much of the ethnic Irish first began to consume corned beef dishes as seen today. The popularity of corned beef compared to bacon among the immigrant Irish may have been due to corned beef being considered a luxury product in their native land, while it was cheaply and readily available in America.

In Ireland today, the serving of corned beef is geared toward tourist consumption and most Irish in Ireland do not identify the ingredient as native cuisine.

That's right. It's far from traditional. It's Pseudo-Irish. But it sure is good! And this recipe comes with one for Mustard Sauce, in honor of Colonel Mustard.

And when you make Reubens with the leftovers, be sure to use Bubbie's sauerkraut. Erin go braless!

Mangia!

Corned Beef in the Slow Cooker with Mustard Sauce

Adapted from Wonkette's Recipe Hub

1 corned beef brisket from your grocer’s meat section, big enough to feed your party

Enough carrots (washed), onions (peeled), and potatoes (washed) for your party (I use red, and halve them)

Water (or you could use beer)

Put the corned beef into your crockpot, with all the juices from the package. Be sure to open and empty the little spice packet that may be in there; the flavors don’t quite come out the same when you leave them in the baggie. (If your corned beef didn’t come with a spice packet, sprinkle in a few tablespoons of pickling spice.)

Layer the vegetables on top of the meat.

Add enough water to cover the meat, plus about an inch.

Cook on “Low” for 9-10 hours. Remove the meat from the pot; let it rest a few minutes. While meat is resting, cut a head of cabbage into quarters, or sixths, or eighths. Put the cabbage in the slow cooker; turn up to high and cook for 15-20 minutes. Slice meat thinly, across the grain of the meat. Serve with vegetables and Mustard Sauce.

Mustard Sauce

2 eggs

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup prepared mustard (the plain old yellow kind is ideal, but if all you’ve got is dijon, you are insufferable)
1 tbsp prepared horseradish

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

 Whisk everything together to combine.

Cook over the lower side of medium heat; stirring constantly. CONSTANTLY MEANS DO NOT STOP UNTIL THE SAUCE IS DONE. (If you don't stir constantly, you'll wind up with scrambled eggs in your mustard sauce)

The sauce is done when it is so thick that it coats the back of a spoon and doesn’t run back together when you swipe your finger across the spoon.

Read more at http://wonkette.com/571128/heres-your-mmmm-delicious-mustard-sauce-for-super-easy-crockpot-corned-beef#svEs12WKj8AqAt09.99