Recipes

Corned Beef with Parsley Sauce

Colman Andrews

Author - Editor

"This classic presentation of one of Ireland’s most emblematic meats is served by Kay Harte at her indispensible Farmgate Café, overlooking the daily bustle at the English Market in Cork. Use the recipe for Brine for Meats with bottom round if you want to make your own corned beef.”

–Colman Andrews

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds corned beef, preferably bottom round (sometimes labeled “silverside” or “brisket”)
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons white flour
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoons English mustard
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Put the corned beef, carrots, and all but about 1 tablespoon of the onions into a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and skim the foam from the surface of the water. Cover and simmer for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the corned beef is tender. Remove from the liquid, wrap in foil, and set aside. Reserve about 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mince the reserved onion and add to the butter. Cook for about 1 minute, then whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute more. Add the reserved cooking liquid, milk, parsley, mustard, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste, whisking the ingredients together until smooth. Cook 4 or 5 minutes more, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens.

To serve, slice the corned beef perpendicular to the grain and spoon the sauce over it.

Yield

4 servings