There’s nothing more ‘Cork’ than spiced beef at Christmas.

Sure; the rest of the country might be satisfied with plain old turkey and ham, but come December, Corkonians need to be assured there will be three types of meat to choose from, especially where the all-important leftovers sandwich is concerned.

Interestingly, spiced beef has been gracing our Christmas dinner tables since the 16th Century when the meat was salted to preserve it and spiced with cinnamon, ground cloves, ginger and black pepper.

These days, local butcher Tom Durcan’s secret recipe reigns supreme; over six tonnes of Durcan’s spiced beef goes across the counter into the hands of happy festive shoppers every Christmas and now you can also pick it up at your local SuperValu all year ’round.

This recipe will ensure it’s celebrated in all its salty, chewy glory:

The Ultimate Spiced Beef Sandwich
Serves: 4 | Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 2 hours

Ingredients:

1kg SuperValu Signature Tastes Tom Durcan Irish Spiced Beef

8 slices rye sourdough bread

¼ head red cabbage, grated

1 onion, sliced

1 carrot, grated

4 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

400g SuperValu Signature Tastes Allenwood Smoked Cheddar, sliced

4 tbsp SuperValu Signature Tastes Wholegrain Mustard

8 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

Method:

• Place the beef in a large pot of boiling water and bring it to the boil for around two hours. Leave to cool in the liquid, then remove and slice thinly.
• For the slaw, combine the red cabbage, onion, carrot, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of wholegrain mustard, and the apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, combine 2 more tablespoons of mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons of wholegrain mustard, set aside until needed.
• When ready to serve, preheat your grill. Butter one side of all the bread slices and place under the grill for a few seconds until toasted and warm.
• Now it’s time to build your sandwich: Spread some wholegrain mayonnaise on the toasted bread, layer spiced beef slices and top with the cheese. Place back under the grill to allow the cheese to melt. When the cheese has melted, spoon the red cabbage slaw over half of the cheesy loaded bread slices.
• Press down to seal and enjoy immediately.

Images: SuperValu