Category Archives: Irish

Corned Beef Dinner

This is the classic dinner served in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Many tell me its not made in Ireland that it’s an American tradition.
Whoever makes it doesn’t affect the taste. It’s flavorful, easy to make and crock pot friendly.

Corned beef
Corned beef dinner

Make my Irish Soda Bread recipe too and you’ll have a real crowd pleasing dinner!!

Ingredients;
3-5LB corned beef with the seasoning packet included, I like the brisket cut. It will shrink and lose about 1/3 it’s weight when cooked so keep that in mind for your portions needed
1- 2 heads fresh cabbage, each cut into 8 wedges
6-8 med size red potatoes, leave the skin on or peel them
4 Carrots, cut into 2″ pieces
Onion cut in half
Celery stalk cut in half

Directions;
The amounts of ingredients for this dish can vary to whatever you need to cook; more meat or more vegetables won’t change the cooking method.
Rinse the corned beef and place it with the seasoning packet in a stock pot or crock pot big enough to fit all of the ingredients. Cover with potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and then the cabbage wedges.  Fill the pot with enough water to cover about half the cabbage. Simmer on low for about 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender.  Let the meat sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before slicing.  Serve with a good whole grain mustard, a crusty rye bread and my Irish Soda bread.

 

Irish Soda Bread

 

soda bread
soda bread

Recipe Ingredients:
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour + a little extra for currants
5 TBLS sugar
1 TSP baking soda
1 1/2 TSP kosher salt
4 TBLS (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold and diced
1 3/4 cups cold whole buttermilk, shaken
1 X-large or jumbo egg, beaten
1 TSP grated orange zest
1 cup dried currants
1/2 TSP caraway seeds

Soda bread, ready to bake
Soda bread, ready to bake

Recipe Directions:
Preheat oven 375 & line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine the all dry ingredients (not the currants).
Mix the butter into the dry ingredients.
Mix the currants with 1 TBLS of flour.
Combine all the wet ingredients. Then add the wet ingredients into the dry slowly. Add the currants. The mixture will be very wet.
Place the dough on a well floured surface and knead a few times. Either keep whole for one large loaf or cut dough in half for two loaves. Shape into a ball and cut 1/2 deep slice X on the top.
Bake 40-55 mins depending on the size loaf you choose or until a tester comes out clean .
Serve slightly warm or cool completely before wrapping.
Serve with butter or apple butter for an extra treat.