Roasted Corned Beef with a Bourbon Molasses Glaze

By Foodiewife

The month of March is when I make my annual St. Patty's Day Corned Beef & Cabbage dish. I've slow-cooked, boiled and pressure cooked the brisket. This year, "The Pioneer Woman" inspired me to go more of the route of roasting a corned beef brisket, searing the cabbage, and serving the beef with carrots and roasted potatoes. The bourbon glaze added a nice tang, and deeper flavor to the brisket and roasting the vegetables gave a nuttier flavor. I drizzled a balsamic vinegar reduction over the cabbage, and loved the result. To see how I made this, click on the source link to my blog, "A Feast for the Eyes". (Recipe adapted from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" blog.)

Ingredients

• VEGETABLES:
• 1 package corned beef brisket (3 to 4 Pounds)
• 3 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1 head green cabbage (can use 2 If you'd like)
• Olive oil, for searing
• 1/2 bottle Guinness, or any beer
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
• 3 to 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 4 to 5-inch pieces
• 6 to 8 potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters (I use Yukon Gold potatoes)
• 2 onions, peeled and quartered
• BRISKET GLAZE:
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1/4 cup bourbon (if you'd prefer, you can use apple juice)

Preparation

Step 1

Brisket:

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Vegetables:

In a large bowl, lightly coat the carrots, potatoes and onion with olive oil and season with coarse salt and pepper (about 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper). Gently toss to coat, and place on a baking sheet, evenly spread apart. Set aside.

Cabbage:

Cut each head of cabbage in half, then quarters and remove the core and stem. Set aside.

Unwrap the brisket and place it fat side up inside the baking dish. If it came with a spice packet, sprinkle it over the top, then sprinkle on the black pepper and rub it in. Cover the dish with heavy aluminum foil* and place it in the oven for 2 hours, then uncover and generously brush the glaze all over the brisket. Continue baking for 45 minutes, to an hour.
*I used a large baking dish with a glass cover.

Check the brisket by inserting a fork in the meat. If it goes in easily, it’s ready; if it meets with resistance, bake for another 30 minutes---or up to an hour in some cases! If the brisket is tough, it hasn't cooked long enough! Once the brisket is fork-tender, remove it from the oven and let it rest, covered loosely in foil.

Turn the oven heat up to 350°F for the roasted vegetables and place them into the oven for about 20 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking. Check for tenderness with a fork, as the potatoes will take the longest to cook.

Towards the end of the brisket roasting time, make the balsamic reduction for the cabbage: Combine the balsamic and the sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir it together and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until the mixture is reduced by half and thick. Set it aside. Note: I skipped this step by buying a ready made balsamic glaze.

Next, make the cabbage: Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the cabbage. Sear it on both sides until the cabbage gets as much color as possible, about 1 minute per side.

Use a spatula to transfer the cabbage to a rack placed over a baking sheet. Sprinkle the cabbage pieces with salt and pepper. Pour the Guinness (or beer) into the bottom of the pan, then carefully transfer the pan to the oven. Bake the cabbage for 20 minutes, or until tender and deeper brown.

Slice (or shred) the rested beef on a cutting board (it should be very, very tender and almost falling apart.) Then place it on a large platter alongside the cabbage wedges and the vegetables. Take generous spoons of the balsamic reduction and drizzle it all over the cabbage slices.

Serve the corned beef next to the cabbage and roasted vegetables and enjoy!