Since St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching, I thought I would do a little mini-series on food we think of as typical St. Patrick’s Day fare. But first, a few interesting tidbits about St. Patrick and St. Patrick’s Day. First of all, St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day is observed by the Irish on March 17th to commemorate the day Maewyn Succat (given the name Patrick upon becoming a priest) died. And although St. Patrick’s Day is not a legal holiday in the United States, it is nonetheless widely recognized and celebrated. Secular observations of the day include the wearing of the green, parades, parties, and the copious consumption of alcohol. St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated on the North American continent since the late eighteenth century. After considering these facts, I just had to ask myself, how in the name of salt brine and pickling spices, did corned beef come to be associated with St. Patrick’s Day? (Of course the food aspect of the holiday would interest me the most!) Well, according to Wikipedia (my favorite source of all things possibly true), corned beef and cabbage isn’t even considered an Irish national dish. The connection with Saint Patrick’s Day originated only as a part of the Irish-American culture. In Ireland, the closest traditional dish is Bacon (more akin to Canadian-style bacon or ham) and Beans. Corned beef and cabbage only became popular in the United States after Irish immigrants living in the northeast used corned beef instead of bacon in the dish. (This substitution was likely due to the low cost of corned beef in the late 19th century.) New England Boiled Dinner (NEBD), prepared by boiling corned beef, cabbage, and vegetables such as carrots, turnips, and potatoes together in water, is still popular today especially in New England and parts of Atlantic Canada. Not to disparage the ever so popular St. Patrick’s Day traditional NEBD, but, I would like to help you notch it up a bit by adding a different spin to some of the main ingredients. (Just the term “boiled dinner” is enough to put me off my feed!) So, I am going to offer up a couple of alternative corned beef recipes for your consideration, plus some recipes for delicious sides, salads, bread, and maybe even a couple of desserts. Erin Go Bragh!
- 1 medium sized corned beef brisket (4-5 lbs.)
- cabbage wedges, opt.
- carrot pieces, opt.
Corned Beef Rub:
- 2 T. packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Glaze:
- ¼ c. packed brown sugar
- 2 T. soy sauce
- 1 T. Dijon mustard
- ½ cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp. dry mustard
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
Combine Rub ingredients. Set aside. Remove as much fat and connective tissue on brisket as possible. Place brisket in a large covered Dutch oven. Massage rub into brisket. Pour 2 cups of water into the pan being careful not to pour it over the beef or the rub will wash off. (If corned beef came with a little package of pickling spices, you can add them too.) Cover tightly with lid and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove brisket from pan and discard liquid. Return meat to pan, add 2 cups fresh water, and cover. Bake another hour. After second hour, drain and replace water again. At this point, add cabbage and carrots, if desired. Cover and bake another hour. Meanwhile whisk glaze ingredients together. Remove brisket from oven. Pour off liquid and remove vegetables to a microwave safe container. Brush glaze on meat. Return to oven uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest before thinly slicing. Reheat veggies before serving. Note: This way of cooking corned beef results in a very flavorful tightly grained meat. In a couple of days I will be posting my friend Jim’s corned beef recipe which produces a more traditional soft grained meat. Both ways of preparing corned beef are delicious and I am delighted to be able to share them with you. Both are wonderful in Reuben Sandwiches; another recipe to come later this month.
Another way to serve this corned beef is to eliminate the glaze portion of the recipe and serve the sliced corned beef with a Horseradish-Mustard Sauce. (top picture)
- 1 c. sour cream
- 2 T. prepared creamy horseradish
- 2 T. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- pinch kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Whisk together and store in the refrigerator.