It’s a great time of year to make corned beef – but then again, so is most of the time

I only cook corned beef at home once a year, around St. Patrick's Day, and every time I make it, I wonder why I don't buy it more often. It's fairly inexpensive where red meat is concerned, ridiculously easy to make, fall-apart tender and full of salty, briny flavor. Today, I'm going to tell you my tips for slow-cooking it in the crockpot. It makes amazing leftovers, too, for things like reuben sandwiches or corned beef hash and eggs.

If you're unfamiliar with corned beef, now is the best time to buy it, because it shows up in abundance in the meat department of local markets. They make it easy for you because corned beef is already salt-cured. It comes with a seasoning packet inside, with contents much resembling pickling spices. You'll want to keep that and add it to the pot for that classic corned beef flavor. You can use water or beer as your cooking liquid, or a combination of both. I like to wait a couple of hours before adding my carrots to the pot, because I don't want them to get overcooked. And, of course, there are always cabbage and potatoes in the mix, which are staples in the Irish diet.

Many people like to add a waxier red or gold potato directly to the pot with everything else. If you're looking for a one-pot meal, that's certainly the way to go. I prefer to make a batch of mashed potatoes to sop up the juices. I cook the corned beef on high for 6 hours, which seems to get it nice and fork-tender. The final thing I do that takes the dish over the top is this: I remove the corned beef from the crockpot, coat it entirely in a glaze of honey and Dijon mustard, then put it under the broiler for 5-7 minutes until browned. The combination of the glaze with that salty cured meat is to die for.

Crockpot corned beef and cabbage with honey Dijon glaze

Serves 4-6

1 3-pound corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
water and/or beer to cover

1 small head of cabbage, cut into bite-sized wedges

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup honey

Serve with: Mashed potatoes

Set crockpot to high. Remove the corned beef from the package and place it into the bottom of the crockpot. Sprinkle the seasoning packet over top of the beef. Pour in enough water and/or beer to just cover the brisket. Surround the brisket with cabbage wedges, pressing them down into the liquid. Cook on high, covered, for two hours. Add the carrots to the pot and cover, cooking another four hours. Turn off the crockpot.

Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the brisket to a baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the mustard and the honey. Pour the glaze over the corned beef, spreading to completely coat. Broil for 5-7 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Slice the corned beef and serve over mashed potatoes with carrots and cabbage on the side, spooning some of the cooking liquid and honey mustard glaze over top.

Maya Wilson lives in Kenai and blogs about food at alaskafromscratch.com. Have a food question or recipe request? Email maya@alaskafromscratch.com and your inquiry may appear in a future column.