In the Kitchen with Diva Winterheart

A Feast of True Irish Traditional Foods!

St. Patrick's Day = Corned Beef

In the minds of many, St. Patrick's Day goes hand in hand with a traditional boiled dinner of corned beef and cabbage. My mother, who was Irish, always made this on St. Patrick's Day along with Soda Bread. Many people make this meal in March but don't know much about it. So here's some timely information on this most traditional of Irish dishes.

Where Did That Name Come From?

Originally "Corned Beef and Cabbage" was a traditional dish served for Easter Sunday dinner in rural Ireland. The beef, which was salted or brined during the winter to preserve it, could then be eaten after the long, meatless Lenten fast.

Since the advent of refrigeration, the trend in Ireland is to eat fresh meats. Today this peasant dish is more popular in the United States than in Ireland. Irish-Americans and lots of other people eat it on St. Patrick's Day, Ireland's principal feast day, as a nostalgic reminder of their Irish heritage.

Corning is a form of curing; it has nothing to do with corn. The name comes from Anglo-Saxon times before refrigeration. In those days, the meat was dry-cured in coarse "corns" of salt. Pellets of salt, some the size of kernels of corn, were rubbed into the beef to keep it from spoiling and to preserve it.

Today brining -- the use of salt water -- has replaced the dry salt cure, but the name "corned beef" is still used, rather than "brined" or "pickled" beef. Commonly used spices that give corned beef its distinctive flavor are peppercorns and bay leaf. Of course, these spices may vary regionally.

Storing and Freshness

Uncooked corned beef in a pouch with pickling juices which has a "sell-by" date or no date may be stored 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator, unopened. Products with a "use-by" date can be stored unopened in the refrigerator until that date. Drained and well wrapped, an uncooked corned beef brisket may be frozen for one month for best quality. The flavor and texture will diminish with prolonged freezing but the product is still safe. After cooking, corned beef may be refrigerated for about 3 to 4 days and frozen for about 2 to 3 months.

Preparation

Corned beef is made from one of several less-tender cuts of beef like the brisket, rump or round. Therefore, it requires long, moist cooking. Keep food safety in mind when preparing the corned beef. It can be cooked on top of the stove or in the oven, microwave or slow cooker (see information below).

"Fork-tender" is a good indication of doneness, but use a meat thermometer to be sure. Cook until the internal temperature has reached at least 160 degrees F. Corned beef may still be pink in color after cooking. This does not mean it is not done. Nitrite is used in the curing process. This fixes pigment in the meat and affects the color.

Allow the brisket to stand for about ten minutes after removing from the heat. This will make it easier to slice, and it is best sliced diagonally across the grain of the meat.

Cooking Times

The USDA does not recommend one particular cooking method as best. Following are methods from various sources. The cooking times are based on corned beef that is not frozen at the time of cooking. Whichever method you choose, be sure the beef reaches an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F to ensure it is safely cooked.

OVEN: Set the oven for 350 degrees F or no lower than 325 degrees F. Place brisket fat-side up. Barely cover the meat with water -- about one inch -- and keep the container covered throughout the cooking time. Allow about one hour per pound.
STOVE TOP: Place brisket fat-side up in a large pot and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer, allowing about one hour per pound. Vegetables may be added during the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking. Cook to desired tenderness.
SLOW COOKER: If using root vegetables, put them in the bottom of slow cooker. Cut brisket into pieces of like size to ensure thorough cooking. Place brisket on top of vegetables (if using) or in bottom of cooker. Add about 1-1/2 cups of water or enough to cover meat. Cover and cook on high setting for the first hour of cooking. Then cook for 10 to 12 hours on the low setting or 5 to 6 hours on high. Cabbage wedges may be added on top of the brisket during the last three hours of cooking.
MICROWAVE: Calculate cooking time at 20 to 30 minutes per pound. Place brisket in a large casserole dish and add 1-1/2 cups of water. Cover with lid or vented plastic wrap and microwave on medium-low (30 percent power) for half the estimated time. Turn meat over and rotate dish. Microwave on high for remainder of time or until fork tender. Vegetables may be added during the final 30 minutes of cooking.

Cooking Ahead

Some consumers prefer to cook corned beef ahead of time. It is easier to cut uniform slices when corned beef is cold. Cooking ahead also makes it easier to reheat and serve later. After cooking a whole corned beef, cut it into several pieces for faster cooling -- or slice it, if you like. Place the beef in small, shallow containers and cool it in the refrigerator quickly.

Leftovers

Any corned beef left over from a meal should be refrigerated promptly -- within two hours of cooking or reheating. Use cooked-ahead or leftover corned beef within 3 to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.

On The Menu

Delightful Dubliner Dip
Soda Bread
Potato & Leek Soup
Champ
Colcannon
Roast Carrots
Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Sauce
Gooseberry Crumble
Irish Coffee & Hot Whiskey


Delightful Dubliner Dip
Ingredients 1-1/2 cups Dubliner cheese, grated 1 cup of plain yogurt 4 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoon horseradish sauce 1 teaspoon of black pepper Directions Mix together the cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise and horseradish sauce. Add pepper to taste. Put into a small bowl and chill. Surround with a selection from the following; cubed cheese, sticks of carrot, celery, mixed peppers, scallions or potato savories.

Soda Bread

This bread is popular throughout Ireland. Because it is easily and quickly made, it is often baked fresh for tea or even breakfast. The loaf made with white flour is often called soda bread, while that made with wholemeal is called wheaten bread. In other parts of the country, wheaten bread is referred to as brown soda or, confusingly, soda bread!

Ingredients
4 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar (optional)
2 cups buttermilk or sour milk

Directions
Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Scoop up handfuls and allow to drop back into the bowl to aerate the mixture.

Add enough buttermilk to make a soft dough. Now work quickly as the buttermilk and soda are already reacting. Knead the dough lightly - too much handling will toughen it, while too little means it won't rise properly.

Form a round loaf about as thick as your fist. Place it on a lightly-floured baking sheet and cut a cross in the top with a floured knife. Put at once to bake near the top of a pre-heated oven, gas mark 8, 450°F, 230°C, for 30-45 minutes. When baked, the loaf will sound hollow when rapped on the bottom with your knuckles. Wrap immediately in a clean tea-towel to stop the crust hardening too much.

Wheaten bread or brown soda is made in exactly the same way but with wholemeal flour replacing all or some of the white flour; this mixture will probably require less buttermilk. Another variation is to add 1/2 cup of sultanas to the white bread - this loaf is known as Spotted Dick.

Potato & Leek Soup This is a traditional soup that my mother used to make. Sometimes if she was making it is a meal she would add chopped fried bacon and replace part of the butter with bacon drippings. Also, because I was not a celery eater, she would put in one entire stalk so that she could remove it easily later, guaranteeing the flavor but making it so I wouldn't have to eat the celery.
Ingredients 2 pounds boiling potatos, peeled and sliced 1 pound leeks, washed and sliced 1 onion, chopped 1 celery stalk, sliced 5 cups chicken stock or broth 2 1/2 cups of milk 4 tablespoons butter 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley salt & pepper 1/2 cup of half & half 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Directions
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the vegetables, cover, and cook for 5 7 minutes, stirring freguently. Add the stock or broth, 1/2 cup of milk, the bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf, and let the soup cool for 10 - 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor in batches and process until smooth. Heat the puree in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in the remaining 2 cups of milk. Serve the soup in bowls and swirl in 1 tablespoon half-and-half into each serving. Sprinkle with the chives. Serves 8.

Champ

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. cooked potatoes
4 oz scallions
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
4 large pats butter

Directions
Peel potatoes and boil the in salted water. Drain and allow them to dry out completely. Trim and wash the scallions. Slice them finely including he green parts and put them in a pan with the milk to simmer gently until soft. Drain scallions and keep the milk. Beat scallions into the potatoes then gradually add the hot milk until you have a fluffy mixture. Season with salt and pepper and make into four servings. Make a mound with a dent in the center for an ample quantity of butter. As you eat the mixture you dip it into the butter in the center. (real butter is best for this!)

Colcannon

Ingredients
1-1/4 lbs. Kale or green Cabbage
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/4 pounds peeled and quartered potatoes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 cup cleaned and chopped leeks white part only
1 cup milk, pinch of ground mace
salt and ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup melted butter (use real butter)

Directions
Simmer kale or cabbage in 2 cups water and oil for 10 minutes, drain, chop fine. Boil potatoes and water, simmer till tender. Simmer the leeks in milk for ten minutes till tender. Drain and puree the potatoes. Add leeks and their milk and cooked kale. Mix. Add mace, salt and pepper. Mound on a plate and pour on the melted butter. Garnish with parsley. Serves six.

Roast Carrots

Ingredients
2 lbs carrots
Butter
2 Tbsp chicken stock, if desired
Mint (fresh if available, dried if not)
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley

Directions
Scrub the carrots. Chop them in two or three pieces lengthwise, then chop each piece in half or in quarters through the centre of the carrot. Put carrots in a baking dish, add butter (plenty of butter for optimal taste, or a small amount of butter and some chicken stock for a healthier dish). Add the mint and salt and pepper. Bake, covered, in a medium oven (350) for about 50 minutes, stirring once or twice. Serve with chopped parsley.

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients
5 lb Corned beef brisket
1 lg Onion stuck with 6 whole cloves
6 Carrots, peeled and halved
8 medium Potatoes, washed and quartered
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 sm Bunch Parsley
1 Head Cabbage (about 2 lbs), quartered

Horseradish Sauce
1/2 pint Whipping Cream
2 TBSP mayonnaise
2-4 TBSP prepared horseradish

Directions
Put beef in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil with the lid off the pot. Add thyme, parsley and onion.Turn to simmer and cook for 3 hours. Skim fat from top as it rises. Add cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until cabbage is cooked. Remove the meat and cut into pieces. Place on center of a large platter. Strain the cabbage and season it heavily with black pepper. Surround the beef with the cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Serve with horseradish sauce.
Horseradish Sauce: Whip cream until it stand in peaks. Fold in mayonnaise and horseradish.

Gooseberry Crumble

This dish is an easily prepared and economical dessert, especially at the time of year when gooseberries are plentiful. The basic method can be used for other fillings, such as rhubarb, apple or apple and blackberry.

Rhubarb Crumble

Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
10 cups gooseberries
1 cup caster sugar

Directions
Using your fingertips, rub butter lightly into the flour in a large bowl. When the texture resembles fine breadcrumbs, mix in the brown sugar. Top and tail the berries and cover with the crumble mixture in an oven-proof dish, pressing the surface down lightly. Bake for 45 minutes in the centre of a pre-heated oven at 350°F. Serve hot with cream.

Irish Coffee

Ingredients
1/4 cup hot, strong, black coffee
1-2 tsp sugar
1 large measure Irish whiskey
1-2 tbsp double cream

Directions
Fill a stemmed whiskey glass with hot water then throw out, refilling it with boiling water. Throw this out, fill the glass somewhat more than half full with coffee and add sugar to taste. Stir to dissolve, then add the whiskey. Pour the cream over the back of a spoon to float on top. Drink the hot liquid through the cool cream. If double cream is not available use lightly-whipped single (whipping) cream.

Hot Whiskey

Also known as 'hot Irish' or just 'punch', is a favourite winter drink in Irish pubs.

Ingredients
boiling water
1-2 tsp sugar
1 large measure Irish whiskey
slice of lemon
2 or 3 whole cloves

Directions
Heat a stemmed whiskey glass as above. Pour in fresh boiling water to more than half full, dissolve sugar to taste, add the whiskey, a slice of lemon and the cloves. Serve at once.