Corned Beef and Cabbage – as Irish as Green Budweiser, Killian’s Red and Lucky Charms

As an Irish national holiday for many years, St. Patrick’s Day is now celebrated throughout the world. Celebrations usually include obligatory green garb, free-flowing Guinness and – outside of Ireland - plenty of corned beef and cabbage, which holds the dubious distinction of being the main course of choice on this day of revelry. It occupies this place of honour due to its obvious Irish roots, but exactly how far back do these roots go? Not as far as your average Bennigan’s guest would suspect!

No one disputes the popularity of cabbage. Cabbage is a cheap vegetable that was widely used when Ireland was not as economically prosperous as it is today. Yet, it is an extremely versatile vegetable, and remains popular and relevant even in the rapidly evolving cuisine of today’s “Celtic Tiger” Ireland. Traditionally cabbage is served with bacon. To the Irish, bacon refers to a boiled ham joint rather than to the smoked and fatty strips of pork belly that North Americans would commonly use in B.L.T. sandwiches. Ham as the Irish know it is very different from ham commonly consumed in America or Canada. When purchased, it is either cured - often referred to as “pale” or “green” - or smoked, but in both cases it needs to be cooked before serving.

Cabbage and Bacon is Ireland’s true national dish. So why the confusion, and how did corned beef enter the equation?

During the troubled nineteenth century it is estimated that Ireland lost more than half its population to emigration and to the devastating potato famine. Most of these emigrants travelled to the United States and ultimately New York City. Once in Manhattan, they could not find the bacon with which they were familiar, but were instead introduced to corned beef by their Jewish neighbours. At the time, corned beef was substantially cheaper than other meats, an overriding consideration in those days. Thus, instead of being related to its Jewish forefathers, corned beef and cabbage has ironically become synonymous with Irish fare.

Here in Ireland, corned beef is available but not at all popular. A different type of cured beef, called “spiced beef” is a more popular alternative, especially during the Christmas season. Craft butchers around Ireland regularly compete in competitions for the best spiced beef cure.

Traditional cabbage and bacon is a simple but hearty meal. The bacon joint is boiled in water for about 2-3 hours, until cooked through. These days, some cooks add herbs and vegetables to make a ham stock as their joint boils, but in meals of old, the ham was simply boiled in water. Other vegetables to accompany the meal are often boiled in the resulting stock. Rutabaga - referred to in Ireland as turnip - is a popular choice and potatoes of some kind - usually mashed - are a must. The turnip is boiled in the ham’s water and served with butter and nutmeg in either a mashed or cubed form. The cabbage is also boiled in the ham stock until tender, then drained and gently mashed or pressed. Many Irish cooks add a tablespoon of baking soda when boiling as this is rumoured to keep the vibrant green colour of the cabbage. It is usually topped with butter, salt and white pepper. The bacon is sliced and served either plain or with parsley sauce - a béchamel sauce flavoured with curly parsley. On special occasions such as Christmas, it can be glazed, studded with cloves and baked until glistening.

Historically, Irish food has relied on ingredients that are cheap and readily available, but ultimately wholesome. Cabbage and bacon is a prime example of this. While corned beef and cabbage is vaguely similar, it should actually be considered an American meal and an historic one at that, as it marked a transition into a new life for thousands of American immigrants. So if you visit Ireland and go out for a traditional Sunday dinner, don’t be surprised to find yourself face-to-face with a heaping plate of cabbage and bacon, mashed potatoes, carrots , turnip and plenty of parsley sauce.

*** I've been asked to write a few articles like this for a publication I can't mention at the time, but would love to get feedback. Generally when I blog it's extremely conversational, so this might seem quite formal to some of my regular readers. Will be posting some more articles about Irish food and culinary trends probably once a week. All feedback gladly accepted! Thanks!***