My St. Patrick's Day Meal

We are just 10 days away from St. Patrick's Day...a day when I make one of my favorite meals. I've posted these before in separate blogs. But I'm going to bring them all together for ease of reference.

First up is the very heart of the meal.....corned beef. I buy mine at Costco. And the recipe I have for it could not be any easier. Basically, you take the lid off your slow cooker and dump really good stuff in (including beer!!!). Put the lid back on, switch the slow cooker to low and you're done. Come back in 10 hours for the best corned beef you've ever tasted.

Next up is a wilted cabbage salad. I, personally, am not a fan of the traditional boiled cabbage served on St. Patrick's Day. That stuff smells like dead goat. I prefer this light and refreshing sautéed  salad made with some incredible ingredients (including bacon!!!)

The last leg of the stool is beer bread. Now I'm not a baker at all. But this bread is so simple a two-year old can make it. No chemistry lessons. Just a simple mixture of some really good ingredients (including beer!!!). Slap them together and drop them in loaf pan and you will have a wonderful, warm loaf of homemade bread.


SLOW COOKER CORNED BEEF

Ingredients
1 corned beef brisket, 3-4 pounds
2 medium onions, cut into quarters
5 ribs celery, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (stone ground preferred)
2 cups chicken stock
1 bottle of beer (12 ounces)

Directions

1. Place onions and celery on the bottom of your slow cooker. Add stock, beer and mustard.
2. Set brisket on top of onions and celery, fat-side up. Sprinkle meat with seasoning packet (which comes packed in your brisket). Put lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours.
3. Remove brisket. Slice and serve.

WILTED CABBAGE SALAD

Ingredients

1 pound of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch long pieces
1 medium head of red cabbage, shredded*
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon caraway seeds

*You can make the prep of this salad really easy if you buy bags of shredded red cabbage. Dole sells 10 ounce bags of shredded red cabbage. You will need 20 ounces of shredded red cabbage to make this recipe. 

Directions

1. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. When skillet is hot, add bacon and cook until evenly brown.
2. Use slotted spoon to remove bacon to a paper towel.
3. Add onion and garlic to bacon fat until browned.
4. Add vinegar. Bring to a simmer, then add cabbage, caraway seeds and bacon.
5. Saute briefly and serve warm.

BEER BREAD

Ingredients

3 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 bottle beer (12 oz)
1/2 cup melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and beer. Stir until lumpy.
3. Spoon mixture into a loaf pan. Pour butter on top.
4. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove and let bread cool for 15 minutes.
5. Slice and serve.

Pairing: Duh!