What’s the first food that comes to mind when you hear St. Patrick’s Day?

Chances are it’s probably corned beef and cabbage- though I definitely didn’t grow up that way! As the oldest of several children, my growing up memories are full of meals that were often catered to younger tastebuds; our festive foods usually consisted of green-dyed milk, a bowl of Lucky Charms, and mint desserts.I don’t even remember the first time time I heard about corned beef and cabbage, but I do remember that the first time I ever tried it was after I was married! My in-laws like to do traditional meals, and so they introduced me to corned beef and cabbage! I think we’ve only done dinner with them once on St. Patrick’s Day, so I’ve only eaten it one time- but hey! At least I’ve tried it!

What exactly is corned beef, and why is it such a big thing on St. Patrick’s Day? I don’t imagine Ireland is covered with an excess of cows and cabbage fields- so how did this become a thing?

Well for starters, corned beef is a very tender, salty beef. It’s commonly cooked from brisket, because you can make even the toughest of meats very tender through the curing method- which is basically pickling the meat! You’re using big salt chunks (“corn”) and brine to tenderize the meat, and the brine is similar to that used for pickles! When we buy it today, it’s typically been cooked in a salt water/sodium nitrate mixture, which basically keeps the meat’s pigmentation- hence the very pink color of corned beef!

Corned beef is not necessarily huge in Ireland, but here in America, the Irish immigrants were used to eating salt pork (like bacon) for their St. Patrick’s Day festivities, and it was too expensive for these early immigrants who were just starting out. Corned beef was another salty, tasty option for MUCH cheaper. Cabbage was also a cheaper veggie- which is why this famous pairing has become such a traditional St. Patrick’s day meal. I think that’s pretty cool! It’s basically an Irish-American dish!

I’ll be honest- my first encounter with corned beef and cabbage didn’t leave a great taste in my mouth (no pun intended!) I was NOT a fan. However, this was 9 years ago, and I feel my tastebuds have come a long way since then. It might be time to give this famous dish another try!

I’m curious- does your family celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a traditional corned beef and cabbage meal? Do you enjoy it all year long, or is it just a recipe you pull out for the holiday? I’d love to hear your experiences!