Posted on 03/17/2014 5:58:47 AM PDT by Phillyred
The wearing of the green is nearly upon us, and so the season of green beer, bagels and milkshakes has begun. While there’s nothing particularly Irish about shamrock-shaped cookies or green-frosted cupcakes, you might be surprised to learn that the traditional St. Paddy’s meal—corned beef and cabbage—is no more authentic. Like many aspects of St. Patrick’s Day, the dish came about when Irish-Americans transformed and reinterpreted a tradition imported from the Emerald Isle.
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Dublin but in New York City, in 1762. Over the next 100 years, Irish immigration to the United States exploded. The new wave of immigrants brought their own food traditions, including soda bread and Irish stew. Pork was the preferred meat, since it was cheap in Ireland and ubiquitous on the dinner table. The favored cut was Irish bacon, a lean, smoked pork loin similar to Canadian bacon. But in the United States, pork was prohibitively expensive for most newly arrived Irish families, so they began cooking beef—the staple meat in the American diet—instead.
So how did pork and potatoes become corned beef and cabbage? Irish immigrants to America lived alongside other “undesirable” European ethnic groups that often faced discrimination in their new home, including Jews and Italians. Members of the Irish working class in New York City frequented Jewish delis and lunch carts, and it was there that they first tasted corned beef. Cured and cooked much like Irish bacon, it was seen as a tasty and cheaper alternative to pork. And while potatoes were certainly available in the United States, cabbage offered a more cost-effective alternative to cash-strapped Irish families. Cooked in the same pot, the spiced, salty beef flavored the plain cabbage, creating a simple, hearty dish that couldn’t be easier to prepare.
After taking off among New York City’s Irish community, corned beef and cabbage found fans across the country. It was the perfect dish for everyone from harried housewives to busy cooks on trains and in cafeterias—cheap, easy to cook and hard to overcook. It was even served alongside mock turtle coup at President Lincoln’s inauguration dinner in 1862.
Far from being as Irish as a shamrock field, this St. Patrick’s Day classic is as American as apple pie.
Thanks for the ideas. I just added 1 sliced jalapena pepper to the crock pot, that should give it some bite. My wife is allergic to jalapena fumes, so I have to be careful when I take the lid off. Also my stupid crock pot only has two speeds, low and high.
As long as you keep it covered in liquid and the fat and liquid doesn't boil away, you should be ok. I leave the fat cap on the top and take it off when cooking is over. Take the brisket out of the liquid and tent it with foil for 15 - 20 minutes before slicing (across the grain, of course). Use the remaining liquid to cook your cabbage. Low boil for 20 minutes.
Next time, try a pressure cooker....That’s what we use, and it’s done in a couple hours.
I try to get the best of both worlds: I steam the cabbage with water from the Brisket.
Yea, there is plenty of liquid. Tried a little piece of carrot and potato, wow that has some bite, makes it come alive! It was only about 1/2 of a jalapena. I put it on at 9 AM and I’m going to eat it at 7 PM
Pressure cookers scare the krap out of me. When I was a kid, my parents almost had one blow up.
They are dangerous if you’re not careful. The trick is to not allow any fat to splatter into the regulator orifice. Don’t be too aggressive getting it to a boil.
Also, don’t use a cheap one. The two we use are about $400 per.
“Cinco de Mayo, “The Fifth of May”, is a pseudo-Mexican holiday”
My friend from Mexico laughs about Cinco de Mayo celebrations in USA. She said it’s a big fat nothing in Mexico.
Aside from the house smelling like an old sneaker, we’re excited.. :|
So, in a way it is Irish...American Irish.
“It’s Irish because we Irish say it is!! “
I second the motion!
(Just put on the crockpot of the best corned beef!)
I had a Ruben today. Does that count as corned beef and cabbage?
I grew up in a community that was probably 80% of Irish heritage (I’m not). The town has an Irish name & there is a large weekend-long St. Pat’s celebration every year. Corned beef and cabbage was “not on the menu”....it was always (and still is) Irish Stew and soda bread.
When I went to college, and later moved to the City, I was puzzled by the corned beef and cabbage thing...figured that the Irish I knew must have come from another part of Ireland or something....LOL!
Counts as delicious.
Shouldn’t those cows also be sucking down whiskey?
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