We make traditional St. Patrick’s Day food each year with this family recipe that’s been handed down through several generations. The sauce is incredibly smooth and tasty — add a bit of horseradish to make it even better! If you already have a favorite corned beef recipe, you could make this sauce to serve with your recipe. Serve horseradish on the side if desired.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 3 hrs
Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 pounds corned beef brisket, or more to taste
- 2 quarts water, or as needed to cover
- 1 medium head cabbage, cored and cut into 6 wedges
- 12 small red potatoes, halved
- 1 pound small white onions, peeled
- 6 large carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
Steps
- Gather all ingredients.
- Make the corned beef and vegetables: Place corned beef into a 6-quart Dutch oven, and pour in enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, skimming the liquid occasionally to remove fat from the top. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
- Arrange cabbage, potatoes, onions, and carrots around beef; return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender and beef can easily be pulled apart with a fork, about 40 minutes.
- Transfer beef to a serving platter. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and arrange around beef. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid for the sauce.
- Make the sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk flour into melted butter until dissolved and bubbling, about 1 minute. Add reserved cooking liquid and vinegar; cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in sour cream and mustard.
- Serve sauce alongside corned beef and vegetables.
