Corned Beef and White Sauce

The beef is tender and has a lovely hint of cloves; the white sauce drizzled liberally over is traditional and very addictive! I recommend the capers in the sauce and parsley sprinkled over at the end. Perfect served with mashed potato and peas.

Recipe provided by Rosie Howard.

Pictured: Corned beef with white sauce

1 ½ - 2 kg of silverside (Corned Beef) , rinsed
8 peppercorns
2 tbsp brown vinegar
8 cloves, can be studded in a small onion for extra flavour
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 small bay leaf
1 carrot peeled and halved, halved again if large
2 tsp dry mustard, or 3 tbsp dijon mustard
White Sauce -
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
300ml milk
Salt and pepper
Optional –
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley or
1 tbsp finely chopped capers or
½ cup cooked spring onions

Wash meat and put into a large saucepan with all the ingredients.
Add enough water to cover and bring slowly to the boil. I like to add a glass of white wine for flavour, and some golden syrup for sweetness as well.

Pictured: Corned Beef just prior to covering with water

Simmer covered until tender, must be as low temp as possible, a simmer mat can be useful at this stage - allow at least 1 hour per kg after it has reached simmering point. Simmer at least 2 hours. 
To test, insert a metal skewer through thick part of meat and if it comes out easily it is cooked.

For an easier method- combine all ingredients in a slow cooker - cook on low for 10-12 hours, or on high for 5 -6 hours.

Let rest 10 minutes, then remove from the cooking liquid, set aside and keep covered. You can add 150ml of the liquid, strained, to the wihte sauce for flavour as well.

White Sauce – make a roux by melting butter in small saucepan, remove from stove, stir in the flour, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until smooth.
Return to stove and stir one minute to cook off the flour taste, but do not allow roux to brown.
Gradually add the milk, stirring all the time. A balloon whisk is handy to help stir out the lumps. Bring to boil stirring while it thickens.
Add any optional ingredients at end of cooking.

Serves 6 – 8

TasteTip - Medieval Europeans enjoyed mustard to the extent their courts employed a special 'Mustardarius' to cultivate and prepare the fiery paste. 'Keen and Sons' were one of the first manufacturers of the English variety of mustard, their workders derived the phrase "as keen as mustard".

Cloves are the dried flower buds of an evergreen tree native to eastern Indonesia. It's a versatile spice that can be used in drinks and in sweet and savoury dishes.