Corned Beef Cabbage Rolls with Mustard Cider Sauce

These cabbage rolls are a wee bit labor-intensive, but absolutely delicious as a beef recipe for St. Patrick's Day or any holiday. The Mustard Cider Sauce adds a nice sweetness but you can also serve these rolls topped with the juices from the baking dish.

Corned Beef Filling

Make bouquet garni by placing mustard seed, peppercorns, coriander, allspice, and bay leaves in cheesecloth bag and tie to close.

Add oil and butter to a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrot, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add corned beef, vinegar, stout, salt, and bouquet garni. Add water to pot until water just covers beef. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beef is tender and flakes off with fork, about 3 hours.

Add shredded cabbage and potatoes to pot with beef. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove center core from head of cabbage using a sharp knife. Place cabbage in a large, non-reactive stockpot and cover with water. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until outer leaves are bright green and tender. Lift cabbage from water and remove outer leaves. Return cabbage to boiling water and repeat process of cooking 2 to 3 minutes and removing outer leaves until all leaves are cooked. Trim thick center vein from bottom of each leaf. Reserve four large outer leaves to line baking dish. Set aside.

Using tongs remove beef to a cutting board. Remove bouquet garni and discard. Pour liquid and vegetables in pot through a colander over a large bowl. Reserve liquid. Transfer vegetables into another large bowl. Mash vegetable until potatoes are smooth and vegetables are throughout mixture.
Cut off fat from beef and discard. Finely mince meat and stir into potato mixture until throughout.

To make cabbage rolls, spread about 1/3 cup beef-potato mixture over center of one cabbage leaf. Fold sides of cabbage leaf over filling and, starting with the stem end, roll up cabbage. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Preheat oven to 325F (165C).

Line a 9x13 glass, baking dish with reserved outside leaves. Neatly arrange cabbage rolls on leaves in dish. Pour reserved liquid from corned beef over rolls in dish. Cover with foil and cook 40 minutes until cabbage rolls shrink slightly.

To make Mustard Cider Sauce, combine cider and mustard in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reduces by half. Reduce heat to low and add cream. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cream thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a small serving bowl.

Using tongs remove cabbage rolls from pot and arrange on serving platter. Drizzle a little Mustard Cider Sauce over top and serve remaining sauce on side.

Makes about 18 rolls and 1 cup sauce