24 St. Patrick's Day Recipes, From Corned Beef and Cabbage to Irish Soda Bread (2024)

FAQs

Why did Irish immigrants eat corned beef and cabbage? ›

The Irish immigrants also realized that cabbage was a more readily available vegetable in America than in Ireland, where it was traditionally a fall and winter vegetable. So they combined the corned beef with cabbage to create a hearty, filling meal that was reminiscent of their homeland.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Slow Cooker Meal + Stout Beer

Come home to an authentic Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage Meal paired with a creamy stout beer this St.

Since this meal is typically only eaten on St. Patrick's Day, most of us assume it is a traditional Irish dish. But guess what lads and lassies: Corned beef and cabbage did not originate from Ireland — and the meal isn't actually Irish at all. Corned beef is a cut of meat similar to brisket that has been salt-cured.

While many of these so-called "Irish traditions" are actually more American than Irish — including eating corned beef — corned beef does have Irish roots.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Though families across the globe prepare this dish every St. Patrick's Day, the truth is that the dish originated in Ireland as bacon and cabbage. It wasn't until Irish immigrants in America substituted bacon for corned beef in the 19th century that the dish became what it's known as today.

Patrick's Day, the most popular meal is corned beef and cabbage—often accompanied by a green beer or two. The boiled dinner and its liquid accompaniment dominate the menu of Irish bars and restaurants up and down the country on March 17, and many home cooks serve the dish, too.

While the Reuben sandwich itself doesn't have Irish roots (it was thought to be created in Omaha, Nebraska mid-poker game) the meat inside it – corned beef, does. Well, it kind of does. The Irish-corned beef relationship is considered to be much more Irish-American than it is purely Irish.

On the white side, try Pinot Gris (or Pinot Grigio), Riesling, or Gewürztraminer. Alternatively, most Spanish or Italian whites will also work. Or you can just go with a dark beer or a Black and Tan.

What alcohol goes best with corned beef and cabbage? ›

Surprising for some, white wines such as viognier and dry Rieslings are a dream with corned beef and cabbage. Avoid oaky, buttery chardonnays, though other chards work well.

Ale: Red ales (something like Smithwicks; Killian's is actually a stateside invention) are malty and mildly sweet — a good pair for corned beef or shepherd's pie (or, frankly, a full Irish breakfast, but we won't encourage that).

Simmering corned beef on the stovetop is a tried-and-true method that results in very tender beef. One of the keys to simmering corned beef correctly is the amount of water in the pot. When there's not ample liquid to cover the meat, your dreams of tender corned beef may be replaced by a tough, chewy result.

Always Rinse Corned Beef Before Cooking It

Regardless of whether you cure the meat yourself or buy a ready-to-cook corned beef, chances are there's excess salt lingering on the surface and tucked into folds on the outer part of the meat.

The brisket is cured for hours in a brine of water, salt, spices and preservatives and can also be injected with the brine. Some producers of corned beef add their own blends of spices. Some stores sell lower-sodium versions.

With more money for food, the Irish could afford meat for the first time. But instead of their beloved bacon, the Irish began eating beef. And the beef they could afford just happened to be corned beef, the thing their great-grandparents were famous for.

Ireland. The appearance of corned beef in Irish cuisine dates to the 12th century in the poem Aislinge Meic Con Glinne or The Vision of MacConglinne. Within the text, it is described as a delicacy a king uses to purge himself of the "demon of gluttony".

Cabbage was another vegetable these farmers and the rural poor relied on for food, since it was nutrient-dense and grew well in Ireland. One of the first written accounts of cabbage cultivation comes from the 17th century, but it's likely the vegetable was being grown in Ireland before this time.

It was originally used as a substitute for bacon by Irish-American immigrants in the late 1800's. Irish immigrants living in New York learned about corned beef from their Jewish neighbors. They found the meat was cheaper and had a similar taste and texture to bacon. So a tradition was born.