St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and it’s hard to imagine celebrating this holiday without glittery green accessories, a pint of Guinness or a plate of corned beef and cabbage. Though it may not be a popular dish for people to eat in Ireland, corned beef and cabbage is a St. Paddy’s Day tradition, and it’s honestly easy to make at home — no need to head out to the pub.
This recipe includes an old family secret to help give the corned beef some flavor: garlic. Cut slender holes into the meat and insert garlic cloves before letting the meat boil in the pot. Add in the other ingredients like cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Once the food is done, this dish will have your hungry family traveling to kitchen for a bite and doing an Irish jig.
Not a big fan of pairing your corned beef with cabbage? No problem, there are plenty of variations to this dish that may suit your taste. Put some leftover corned beef in between two slices of rye bread to make a sandwich better than what mom used to make. You can also bake it into a lasagna, put it in a taco or add it into a dip. You can also go for another classic, chop up some corned beef and add it with potatoes to create a tasty breakfast hash.
Not feeling corned beef at all? That’s OK, there are plenty of St. Patrick’s Day recipes you can whip up that aren’t corned beef and cabbage.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
Canola or olive oil
2 pounds corned beef
1 large onion, roughly chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
5 peppercorns tied in a piece of cheesecloth
1 head cabbage, quartered and cored
1 pound baby carrots
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Step 1: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium to low heat. Then add enough oil to just cover the bottom.
Step 2: Use a paring knife to make slender holes throughout the non-fat side of the meat that is just wide enough to stuff slivers from 8 cloves of garlic into. Put corned beef into the pot fat side down and render over low heat, about 8 minutes. (You don’t want it to color.)
Step 3: Add 1 large chopped onion and lightly sauté (don’t let them get any color). Add minced garlic. Add a sachet of 5 peppercorns.
Step 4: Cover with water almost to the top of the pot. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook for 2 hours.
Step 5: After 2 hours, add the1 head of quartered and chopped cabbage and cook for 30 more minutes.
Step 6: Add the bag of baby carrots and 12 potatoes and simmer for another half hour.
Step 7: Remove sachet and season to taste. It’s best eaten with a healthy dollop of mustard.
