Hard Cider Braised Corned Beef with Mustard Cider-Reduction

By: David Bonom

Chef David Bonom was not a big fan of corned beef until he tried Snake River Farms American Wagyu version. He is now a corned beef convert! Chef Bonom developed a clever way to pair hard cider to compliment the richness of our corned beef.  Different ciders have distinct flavor profiles, ranging from tart and dry to fruity and sweet. We've tried it with several varieties and found either end of the flavor spectrum will celebrate and enhance the flavor of American Wagyu.

Ingredients

Hard Cider Braised Corned Beef with Mustard Cider-Reduction

  • 1 SRF Black Label™ corned beef brisket, about 2 ½ - 3 pounds Buy Now
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • 4 (12-ounce) bottles hard apple cider, divided
  • 1 cup homemade chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard, divided
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Hard Cider Braised Corned Beef with Mustard Cider-Reduction

Scrape off pickling spice from corned beef and reserve.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the corned beef, fat side down, and sear until the fat is lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Turn the meat over, sear one minute, and remove from the pan
Add the onion, carrots, bay leaves and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to soften, about 2-3 minutes.
Return the corned beef and reserved pickling spice to the pan, fat side up, and add 3 bottles of the cider and enough cold water to just cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low; cover and gently simmer until tender, 3-3 1/2 hours.
While the corned beef cooks, combine the remaining bottle of hard cider, chicken stock, 2 tablespoons of the mustard and the sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, 23-25 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon mustard, salt and pepper.
Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and allow to rest 5-10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain. Serve with the mustard-cider reduction.