POLL: Are you making a St. Patty's day dinner?

[Jenise]

A poll question seems called for here because it will be interesting to know, since we have such an international group, how wide-spread is the St. Patrick's day tradition? I honestly don't have an understanding of that, but believe that the tradition actually started in America though it's now spread back to Ireland, the home country it's attributed to.

My family's not Irish but we had corned beef every year for St. Patrick's day, probably in part because that's when it was available (not like nowadays when you can find it year-round) and partly because we just loved the meal.

I cook it every year too, though in recent years I've scampered off into the culinary hinterlands trying to change it up a bit from the straight boiled vegetables of my childhood. What I didn't like so much about that was that everything tasted more or less the same, so I started roasting the potatoes separately, and that has led to other more drastic variations. One year I explored how an Italian who had never eaten corned beef might approach the meal, and I made corned beef ravioli. To finish the dish, I divided the corned beef broth in two, separately lightly poaching squares of cabbage cut the same size as the ravioli in one and reducing the other batch to make a mustard cream sauce to go over the ravioli and cabbage which I mixed on each plate. Another year I went Armenian, making "potatoes" out of bulgur wheat and using a ton of mint and allspice in my cooking liquid and resultant mustard sauce. This year--I don't know yet!

What's your favorite preparation?

I'm in agreement with you about the boiling and everything tasting the same. I, too, have tried various ways to prepare this, striving for an excellent rating from Gene and me, as the cook, and wanting it to be perfect. Last year, I did the roasted potatoes and loved that. I make sure that my carrots are still a bit crunchy, as I dislike them boiled to death. The cabbage, I sautéed last year in butter and added some caraway seed, which was very good. I do like it boiled but not so much that it turns an ugly shade of gray, green. I like experimenting with different beers and loved the Early Spring Brew from Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, CA both for the cooking and drinking. It was actually recommended to me by Sierra Nevada's chef. This year I am doing a crock pot version, still roasting the potatoes, and putting the carrots and cabbage in the last few hours on low. A must have for us is a mixture of Gulden's Spicy brown mustard with a bit of golden brown sugar, to dip the corned beef into. I always use fresh bay leaves from our tree, and play around with the herbs and spices. Then we love in on sandwiches the next day.
You are being much more creative, I try to keep it more traditional, yet with some custom touches.

[Jenise]

Karen, sounds like you're being plenty creative yourself. And like you I hate non-crunchy carrots and gray cabbage.

Here's something for you: while driving in L.A. on Sunday we listened to a weekend cooking show anchored by one Melinda Lee. She's been doing that show down there for years. It's kind of an advice show where people call up and they discuss recipes and solutions to listener's problems. She wears me down quickly but it's the all-news station with the best traffic reporting in the Southland, and if you've got 85 miles to drive and downtown L.A. itself to traverse, you need to be listening to this station so you can avoid the hot spots. Anyway, she was talking about cooking corned beef.

One thing she reccomended that I vehemently disagreed with was to cook the corned beef the day before. She said it "slices better", and she'd be right but that's because the cooled down corned beef expels all the liquid it absorbs during cooking, and it becomes denser/firmer which I personally am not a fan of vs. the jiggly juicy tenderness of the just-cooked meat.

Neither of you is making "Corned Beef and Cabbage". A sublime dish, cooked properly. You're making something else. I think the millions of people, professional and amateur alike, who have cooked this dish for over a century have pretty much figured out how this dish should be done.

I have never cooked it the day before as I like the jiggl, juicy tenderness you refer to. However, I did cook lamb shanks last month the day before I was to serve guests, cooked it about one hour short of being done. I was able to take away the congealed grease, continue the next day, with a gentle reaheat and they were so moist, tender and yummy good.

[Jenise]

Neither of you is making "Corned Beef and Cabbage". A sublime dish, cooked properly. You're making something else. I think the millions of people, professional and amateur alike, who have cooked this dish for over a century have pretty much figured out how this dish should be done.

Oh balderdash, Joseph. Of course it's a great dish when it's done properly--and I know just how to do that (though I would still prefer the potatoes cooked another way). I just enjoy the challenge of playing with it a bit. You're not the only one allowed to do that, you know.

It won't help you to invoke Teutonic deities, Jenise.

We always do a traditional CB&C (although occasionally a day early or late if it works better for us). We were planning on it this year, but friends invited us for their CB&C Wednesday. A bit of a relief because Betsy and I are both working all day, and have no power for probably another day or so. We have gas stove, but I'm not thrilled with leaving on when not home (I work in town).

I love it, especially with a horseradish sauce

Yep! Brisket. I made the mistake of buying a corned beef "round" one year. I slowly cook it in a roasting pan, covered with water (with onions and celery) for 3-4 hours, then add potatoes & carrots. After another 30-45 minutes, I add the cabbage, cut into wedges. I lift out the briskets, put the cabbage wedges in and then place the briskets on top, out of the water, for the last 30-45 minutes. I usually have 10-12 people over for the dinner.

I do corned beef and cabbage, but not until a week later, because my husband will usually have it for lunch on St. Patty's day, and I don't want him to have it twice. I actually make this at least twice a year (and would do so more, if corned beef wasn't so bad for ya!).

I make my corned beef similar to Karen. I basically poached it in my crockpot in some beer. I do cook my potatoes, onions, and carrots with the beef, but I add them several hrs after. I slice the the cabbage and sautee it in butter and salt and pepper. I slice the corned beef really thin and drizzle a white gravy on everything.

Last yr I went to my Aunt's house for St. Patrick's. She is half Irish and always has a big party. She had it catered last yr and the guy who did it made the most amazing corned beef that I have ever tasted in my life. It was juicy and absolutely melt in your mouth. I have no idea how he did it.

Funny, I just got home from the grocery with two corned beef briskets. (One point cut and one flat cut.) I make it every year and we always have a few friends over. I don't have one drop of Irish blood in me, but always enjoy the meal. I make it pretty traditionally, although I take it out of the boiling liquid and put onto a broiler pan where I sprinkle the fatty side with a little brown sugar and paprika and broil until very crusty. I saw this in a St. Pete Times article about 20 years ago and I've been doing it since. I've also started making colcannon along with the carrots. Everyone seems to love it, except Len--for whom I always keep a few boiled potatoes separate.

Jenise, your creativity "wows" me almost daily.

We don't celebrate St Patrick's day with a meal, and I don't know anyone who does. The Irish pubs and Irish organisations in town put on celebrations. The ones in pubs involve drinking a great deal of Guinness, and the playing of Celtic music. In times gone by, Catholic church communities in country towns used to put on a St Patrick's Day ball (usually on the Saturday night closest to 17 March). This was often the highlight of the social calendar.

A handful of years ago, a new priest took over at St Joseph's Catholic parish, where my sister was a member of the parish council. The priest was keen to reinvigorate the social life of his flock, and asked for suggestions. My sister mentioned that the St Patrick's Day Ball used to be one of the big events in town, way back when. The priest jumped at the idea. "Let's have a parish ball," he suggested, "And never mind waiting for St Patrick's Day. We could call it St Joseph's Ball." My sister fixed him with a scornful eye and said scathingly, "St Joseph doesn't have balls." The parish council meeting dissolved into loud guffaws. Her gaffe was widely reported but not recorded in the minutes.

Neither of you is making "Corned Beef and Cabbage". A sublime dish, cooked properly. You're making something else. I think the millions of people, professional and amateur alike, who have cooked this dish for over a century have pretty much figured out how this dish should be done.

Well, then, might you post the ultimate recipe and teach how, Chef? I'm primed and ready to learn.

I guess I've never eaten corn beef and cabbage that I thought was a really special dish. Now as an excuse to polish off a couple in the local tavern I plead guilty on numerous occasions.

Like Lou, I've never been wildly impressed by the dish and I've never been one to celebrate the holiday. Maybe some day....

Exactly which county, in the Old Country, do the O'Filigenzis come from? :::shamrock:::

Neither of you is making "Corned Beef and Cabbage". A sublime dish, cooked properly. You're making something else. I think the millions of people, professional and amateur alike, who have cooked this dish for over a century have pretty much figured out how this dish should be done.

Well, then, might you post the ultimate recipe and teach how, Chef? I'm primed and ready to learn.

Don't you have the books?

I am going to make Corned beef and Cabbage, with boiled potato, carrots, onions, celery and at least 8oz of BUTTER per serving

I am going to make Corned beef and Cabbage, with boiled potato, carrots, onions, celery and at least 8oz of BUTTER per serving

We could dine at a common board.

Yes, it'll be Corned Beef and Cabbage in the slow cooker with veggies added somewhat later. I really love a lean, tender corned beef and always ask myself on March 17 why we don't have it more often. I expect there'll be beer to.

Yes, it'll be Corned Beef and Cabbage in the slow cooker with veggies added somewhat later. I really love a lean, tender corned beef and always ask myself on March 17 why we don't have it more often. I expect there'll be beer to.

I have draft Guinness.

The Irish don't know how to cook corned beef. You're supposed to coat it with coriander, pepper, and other seasonings and then steam it, cut it thin, and serve on rye with mustard. Hmph.

The Irish don't know how to cook corned beef. You're supposed to coat it with coriander, pepper, and other seasonings and then steam it, cut it thin, and serve on rye with mustard. Hmph.

You, too, see above.

Jenise, your creativity "wows" me almost daily.

I feel the same way Carrie...when I grow up, I want to be like Jenise (too bad I'm already grown-up, but one can still dream, right?).