Corned beef cooked in the slow cooker with onions and bay leaves. Served with a delicious homemade mustard sauce alongside mashed potatoes and steamed green veg.
After years of having this recipe requested, I finally got around to documenting it. Corned Beef is so nostalgic for so many people. While most people think back fondly on this traditional dish, I know there will be one or two who have less favourable memories... but I'm here to heal those wounds! This recipe will give you perfectly cooked beef and a delicious mustard sauce to serve with it.
If you like this recipe, you may also like my super popular Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks recipe.
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Ingredient notes:
- Corned beef: Also known as corned silverside, this nostalgic cut of beef is available from most major supermarkets.
- Peppercorns: Don't worry, you won't actually eat these chunky peppercorns. They just help to flavour the water that the meat cooks in.
- Brown sugar: Wondering what the brown sugar does in this recipe? Brown sugar keeps meats tender and juicy while adding a subtle sweetness.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Place the corned silverside in the bowl of a slow cooker. Fill with boiling water to cover the meat. Add the bay leaves, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, peppercorns, and quartered onion. Cook on high for 4 to 4 ½ hours or on low for 8+ hours.
Towards the end of the cooking time, scoop out 1 cup of the cooking liquid to make the mustard sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk together the egg and brown sugar. Add the flour, mustard, and apple cider vinegar, and mix to combine.
Place the saucepan on low heat and cook, stirring continuously until the sauce starts to thicken. Gradually add the cooking liquid, about a third of a cup at a time, whisking as you go, until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Once the corned beef is cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice the corned beef and serve with mashed potatoes, seasonal greens, and the mustard sauce.
Recipe FAQs:
Corned beef is beef that has been cured in a seasoned brine, typically made with salt, sugar, and spices. The name comes from the "corns" of salt used in the curing process. Traditionally these pieces of salt were large enough to resemble pieces of corn.
Typically, this meal is gluten-free, but as always, check the labels on pre-packaged products to ensure no gluten-containing ingredients are used. The mustard sauce uses plain flour as a thickener however this could be replaces with gluten free flour.
Corned beef is made by soaking brisket in a brine solution for several days to weeks, allowing the salt and spices to penetrate the meat. It is then cooked, usually by boiling or slow-cooking.
★★★★★
"Just like my Nana used to make! The mustard sauce goes perfectly with the tender beef. Thanks for the recipe!"
Sally - VJ Cooks reader
Storage:
Store any leftover corned beef in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Enjoy hot or cold in sandwiches.
This meal can also be frozen! Store in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost completely before reheating.
Top tips:
To take things up a notch, serve your leftover corned beef in a Reuben sandwich. Slices of corned beef (hot or cold) served with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing in rye bread.
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Corned Beef with Mustard Sauce
Corned silverside cooked in the slow cooker with onions and bay leaves, served with a homemade mustard sauce.
Ingredients
Corned Beef
- 1.5 to 2 kg piece corned silverside
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 1 onion, quartered
Mustard Sauce
- 1 egg
- 1.5 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 2 tsp mustard
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup corned beef cooking liquid
Instructions
- Place the corned silverside in the bowl of a slow cooker. Fill with boiling water to cover the meat.
- Add the bay leaves, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, peppercorns, and quartered onion.
- Cook on high for 4 to 4 ½ hours or on low for 8+ hours.
- Towards the end of the cooking time, scoop out 1 cup of the cooking liquid to make the mustard sauce.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the egg and brown sugar. Add the flour, mustard, and apple cider vinegar, and mix to combine.
- Place the saucepan on low heat and cook, stirring continuously until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Gradually add the cooking liquid, about a third of a cup at a time, whisking as you go, until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Once the corned beef is cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Slice the corned beef and serve with mashed potatoes, seasonal greens, and the mustard sauce.
Notes
- The mustard sauce can be adjusted to taste; add more or less mustard, sugar or vinegar to suit your taste.
- Leftover corned beef can be used in sandwiches or breakfast hash the next day.
- You can swap the apple cider vinegar for malt vinegar.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 178Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 406mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 12g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
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