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.

How to Eat Irish Soda Bread. This versatile bread works for any meal, but Irish soda bread is a natural for breakfast, whether simply spread with (Irish) butter and jam or alongside that hearty fry-up known as a full Irish breakfast. It's also wonderful with a cup of tea in the afternoon or as a late-night snack.

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.

Irish Stew is a thick, hearty dish of mutton, potatoes, and onions and undisputedly the national dish of Ireland. Within the dish are many of the ingredients synonymous with the island, potatoes being one of the most recognized.

Corned beef and cabbage is a good source of the mineral iron. The high level of vitamin C in corned beef and cabbage helps your body absorb more of the iron from the food as well. Iron helps make up red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body.

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.

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.

Soda bread dries out quickly so it really is only good for a day or two. It is best eaten freshly baked and warm or toasted.

Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour. Soda bread is slightly sweet and more scone-like while Irish brown bread is more savory with a tender interior.

Why do you put a cross in Irish soda bread? ›

The Southern Irish regions bake their loaves in a classic round fashion and cut a cross on top of the bread. This was done for superstitious reasons, as families believed a cross on top of the bread would let the fairies out or ward off evil and protect the household.

So when they found salted beef brisket was cheap in the States, they were quick to replace their traditional “Irish bacon.” Nutrient-dense cabbage was also readily available and affordable, and a dish combining the two became a staple for working classes across the country.

Corned beef and cabbage isn't actually the national dish of Ireland. You wouldn't eat it on St. Patrick's Day in Dublin, nor would you be likely to find it in Cork.

The meal, which is also often associated with St. Patrick's Day, is meant to help bring good fortune into the new year. Folks opt for corned beef or pork for this meal as chicken and fowl supposedly bring bad luck because they dig into the dirt for food.

If you like sour cream, pancakes, clam chowder and that Yankee staple known as the New England boiled dinner, you can thank the Scotch-Irish settlers who sailed into Casco Bay nearly 300 years ago.