St Patrick's Day Recipes

Knowing a few great St. Patrick’s Day recipes is a must during the month of March, even if you are not truly Irish. St. Patrick’s Day is certainly about celebrating Irish culture and traditions and sharing great food and the occasional green beer, but it also offers the perfect time to explore some new foods, flavors and festivities. A traditional St. Patrick’s Day recipe that graces many kitchens is corned beef and cabbage. 

To make St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage, you will need:

• 3 to 5 pounds corned beef brisket, with spice packet
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• Water to cover the brisket.
• 1 medium head of green cabbage, cored and sliced into large chunks
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 6 to 8 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 8 to 12 medium carrots, cleaned and cut into three-inch pieces, or a ten-ounce bag of baby carrots

1. Prepare the corned beef brisket. Add the brisket and any liquid from the packaging into a large Dutch oven. Sprinkle the brisket with the spice packet, which is generally included, and the brown sugar. Add the bay leaves and water to completely cover the brisket. Bring the brisket to a boil over medium to high heat, reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer for two hours.
2. Add the vegetables to the corned beef. After the initial two hours, add the onion, potatoes and carrots to the pot. Arrange them around the brisket so that some of the vegetables will be in the cooking liquid. Return the mixture to a boil, then again reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Remove the potatoes and carrots to make room for the cabbage. Remove the cooked vegetables and place in a warm oven or other warming area to keep them warm. Add the cabbage to the corned beef in the Dutch oven. Cover and simmer for fifteen minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
4. Remove the corned beef to a cutting area to rest. Once the corned beef has been removed, the potatoes, carrots and onions can be returned to the pot with the cabbage to re-heat and moisten if necessary. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Allow the corned beef to rest for five to ten minutes before slicing. Be sure to slice the meat across the grain.
5. Serve your St. Patrick’s Day meal. You may wish to offer the corned beef with horseradish sauce or a mustard cream sauce made by combining one cup of sour cream with two heaping tablespoons of Dijon mustard and a dash of sugar. Be sure to serve the dish warm with fresh bread. Happy St. Patrick's Day!