St. Patrick’s Day calls for corned beef and cabbage.  Since my son Steve’s birthday is also St. Patrick’s Day, I often cooked the meal for his party. However, Steve is now the head of his own household, so I haven’t fixed the dinner in a few years.

It’s time to return to tradition.  I found a new recipe that calls for oven-roasting for about four hours and then topping the brisket with a mustard and brown sugar glaze under the broiler.  The result- a truly succulent and extremely tender slice of meat.

Ingredients

• 1 package center cut corned beef brisket
• 1 lemon
• 1 medium onion, peeled
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 6-8 whole cloves
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Optional: Baby carrots and small round potatoes

Directions

1. Lay meat, fattiest side up, in a large oblong roasting pan.
2. Thinly slice a lemon, discard seeds, and onion and lay slices over the meat. Sprinkle with spices.
3. Pour boiling water around the brisket (4 or more cups), seal the pan with foil. Place pan on the middle rack in a 325-degree oven and roast.  After about two to two and a half hours, I added baby carrots and small potatoes. Continue cooking for a total of about four hours.
4. Remove and uncover. Spoon out the potatoes and carrots with a slotted spoon. Pour off the liquid and lemon and onion slices.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the mustard and brown sugar. Spread evenly over the meat. Place pan with meat under the broiler (about 8 inches away) until the mixture begins to brown or boil.
6. Transfer the roast to a platter and serve warm or cold.  Cut meat on at about a 45-degree angle.