Corned beef simmered in a flavoursome stock and served with mustard sauce is as Kiwi as the Edmonds Cookbook - in fact that iconic book included recipes for both. This slightly more upmarket recipe is delicious served hot with mustard sauce or cold the next day, sliced thinly and piled into rustic sandwiches with pickles and sour cream.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kilogram piece corned beef with a good fat layer
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 2 carrots, cleaned and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• juice of 1 lemon
• Mustard Sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 50 grams butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar

Method

1. Preheat a slow cooker on low while gathering and preparing the ingredients. Put the corned beef into the preheated slow cooker. Scatter the onion, carrots and bay leaf around the meat. Add sufficient cold water to cover the beef. Cover with the lid.
2. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. Turn off and leave the corned beef to finish cooking in the liquid for 2-3 hours. At this stage the corned beef can be well wrapped and refrigerated overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line a deep baking tray with foil. Place the cooked corned beef, fat side up, on the prepared tray and stud the beef evenly with whole cloves. (If the fat layer is thick enough, cut a criss-cross pattern before studding with cloves, much like glazed ham).
4. Mix the brown sugar, mustard powder, cinnamon and allspice together with the lemon juice and spread half over the beef.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, basting with the remaining glaze occasionally. Serve with the mustard sauce and your favourite vegetables.
6. Mustard Sauce
7. Gently pan-fry the ginger in the butter in a heavy-based saucepan for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes or until frothy. Gradually add stock, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Add mustard and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper.

Cooks Tips

If you don't have a slow cooker, simmer the corned beef gently in a large saucepan for 2 hours or until tender, then follow the recipe from step 2.