Today the World is Irish

There are two days a year when everyone seems willing to change their nationalities. The first is today, when everyone is Irish. The other is May 5, when the entire state of California embraces their Mexican roots.

My father is a huge fan of Corned Beef and Cabbage. I would have never guessed based on my childhood. We never celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day with Corned Beef and Cabbage. I suppose part of the reason was that my mother was in charge of the social events. In the Philippines Green Beer and little leprechauns were unheard of.

And frankly that was fine with me. I’m not a fan of Corned Beef and Cabbage. Made it once. Never again. I like Corned Beef in my hash. That’s about it. The funny thing is, Corned Beef and Cabbage isn’t truly an authentic Saint Patrick’s Day meal. This combination is Irish-American, born from a necessity. In Ireland the family meal is either boiled ham (Irish bacon) served with cabbage or a true Irish Lamb Stew. Of curse there is always plenty of soda bread. Most Irish families aren’t in the pubs on Saint Patrick’s Day. They attend Mass and then celebrate the day at home, surrounded by family.

When the Irish immigrated to America during the Great Irish Famine, they arrived with little or no money. In their native Ireland pigs and sheep abound. But in America, it was cattle that was in abundance and cheap. America was once made up of segregated neighborhoods. Irish Catholics had their neighborhoods, as did the Italians, the Germans, the Jews. It was actually their Jewish neighbors with Corned Beef Briskets that provided a salty substitute for the Irish immigrants longing for boiled bacon. This knowledge has opened a whole new way for us to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. After all, this really isn’t about drinking Green Beer but rather to honor the Patron Saint of Ireland. When Saint Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday, those of Irish descent are given Special Dispensation, allowing the consumption of meat on a Friday. While I may be of Irish descent, we stick to the Friday abstinence.

Luckily today is not Friday. This meal may seem familiar – as it should. Much of the menu came from our 2019 Family celebration when our house was once again filled with extended family. It’s been a while, so I thought it was high time for the majority of my favorite components of the meal to grace our table once more. However you celebrate the day, remember to hold tight those you love, and to thank the Lord for yet another day.

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Saint Patty’s Roast Beef Supper –
Irish Roast Beef with Stout Gravy
Irish Champ Potatoes
Whiskey Glazed Browned Butter Carrots

Irish Roast Beef with Stout Gravy
Chuck Roast
3 lb Chuck Roast, trimmed
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup Stout Beer
10 oz Beef Stock
1 packet Brown Gravy Mix

Season chuck roast liberally with salt and pepper. Set aside. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Break into rings and set aside.

In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoons of butter and all of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chuck roast and sear meat on all sides until caramelized. Transfer roast to the Crock Pot.

To the now empty Dutch oven, add remaining tablespoon of butter. Let butter melt.

Scatter the onions over the melted butter and cook until the onions are soft and just beginning to brown.

Add the stout beer and beef stock, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits.

Remove from heat, whisk in the Brown Gravy Mix until blended. Pour beefy onion mixture over the meat in the Crock Pot.

Cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 10 hours, until meat begins to fall apart.

Brown Gravy
4 tablespoons Butter, divided
2 tablespoons Flour
1-1/2 cups Pot Juices

Remove 1-1/2 cups of the drippings from the crock pot. It there isn’t enough liquid, add more beef stock to achieve the required amount. Set aside.

In a saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat until just beginning to foam. Stir in flour, one tablespoon at a time and cook, stirring constantly to create a roux. Flour mixture should cook for about 5 minutes to get rid of that floury taste. It’s okay to let roux become a rich, golden color. If it begins to scorch, reduce or remove from heat to prevent roux from burning.

In a slow, steady stream, add cooking liquid. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, one at a time, waiting for the first tablespoon to incorporate into the gravy before adding second. Stir and let it simmer until the desired thickness is reached. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

To serve: Place roast beef on a serving platter. Pour a little gravy down the center, and serve with additional gravy in a boat on the side for passing.

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Irish Champ Potatoes
3 lbs Potatoes, Russet
1 bunch Green Onions
1 cup Milk
Salt to taste
8 tablespoons Butter
White Pepper to taste
1 stick Butter

Peel and cube potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place potatoes into large pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, chop green onions and set aside until ready to use.

Drain potatoes well. Return to very low heat and allow the potatoes to dry out for a few minutes.

While potatoes are drying, heat the milk and green onions gently in a saucepan, until warm.

Rice or Mash the potatoes, salt and butter together until smooth. Stir in the milk and green onion until evenly mixed. Season with freshly ground pepper.

Place mashed potatoes in a serving bowl. Create a well in the center of the potatoes. Melt butter and pour into the well.

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Whiskey Glazed Browned Butter Carrots
2 Bunches Baby Carrots, tops intact
4 tablespoons Water
Salt to taste
8 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Whiskey
Parsley for garnish

Trim the tops of the carrots, leaving about 1-inch of the green intact. Wash and peel carrots. Place in a microwave-safe dish. Add water and a pinch of salt.

Microwave on HIGH for about 4 or 5 minutes, until carrots are tender-crisp. Check after 3 minutes and adjust timing accordingly.

Heat an empty skillet until almost smoking hot. Remove the skillet from the heat, add butter. The butter will begin to brown almost immediately. Add the brown sugar, stir until the sugar has dissolved, creating a nice glaze.

Add whiskey to the pan, swirl to blend. Place the carrots in the pan with the browned butter glaze. Swirl to coat carrots with glaze.

Return pan to low heat and continue to cook, swirling the pan, until the carrots are nicely glazed and everything is bubbling hot.

Meanwhile, chop parsley for garnish and set aside.

Transfer to a serving platter. Pour browned butter over the carrots, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

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Salad and Bread –
Irish Pub Salad with Creamy Dressing
Shamrock Soda Bread

Irish Pub Salad with Creamy Dressing
The Pub Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs, peeled and cut in half
8 Butter Lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried
10 pickled Baby Beets
16 pickled Asparagus Spears
1 Cucumber, sliced
10 Grape or Pear Tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup White Onion, sliced
White or Yellow Irish Cheddar Cheese, sliced

To Hard-Boil Eggs: Fill a small saucepan half full with water and stir in 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to help the eggs not to crack as they cook.  Gently lower the eggs into the cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Immediately plunge eggs into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Remove from the bath, let eggs cool to the point that they can be handled.  Once cool to the touch, peel the eggs and rinse off any shell fragments, then blot each egg dry with a paper towel.  Halve the eggs and sprinkle with black pepper.

Note: The eggs for the salad should be cooked the same day the salad is made. This is best if the eggs are fresh and not chilled from the refrigerator.

Tear off 8 pieces of lettuce. Rinse and blot dry with paper towel. Arrange most of the butter lettuce leaves around the outside of the platter and put one or two in the middle to make a pretty base for the other salad ingredients

Blot dry the baby beets, so the red juice doesn’t bleed. Set beets on paper towels until ready to use.

Place pickled asparagus spears on paper towels. Plot dry so the pickle juiced does not spread across the salad. Set aside until ready to use.

Using a fork, score the outside of the cucumber. Slice cucumber into rounds. Cut tomatoes in half and place on paper towels cut side down to drain off juices; set aside.

Cut the onion into eighths, then slice to get 12 curved slices. Slice the Cheddar cheese 1/8 inch thick. Cut slices of cheddar cheese from a block. Cheese can be sticks or cubes, depending upon the desired look. Set aside.

The Creamy Dressing
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Malt vinegar
2 teaspoons Tarragon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4-5 teaspoons water
sprinkle of salt and black pepper
pinch of sugar

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, tarragon, and Dijon mustard.  Sprinkle in the salt and black pepper, then add a pinch of sugar.  Gradually add the water to get it the right pouring consistency.  Whisk until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

To Assemble Pub Salad
Arrange the salad in groups as desired. The beets and cheese can go in the center. Arrange everything else as you wish in groups rather than mixed together. The point of this salad is that people take those ingredients they like best and build personal salads. Drizzle finished salad with the dressing, passing remaining dressing table side.

Pub salads are traditionally served with Soda Bread.

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Shamrock Irish Soda Bread
4 cups Flour
1/3 cup White Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 tablespoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Buttermilk
1 Egg
Kelly Green Food Coloring
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/4 cup Buttermilk

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a heavy baking pan and dust with flour.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a fork, blend in the 1/2 cup butter thoroughly.

Stir in one cup buttermilk and the egg. Add food coloring to the dough. Mix well using your hands to knead it several times.

Form into a round shape and place on baking sheet. Cut an a clover-leaf on the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.

Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a microwave safe bowl. Combine melted butter and remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk. Brush mixture over top of loaf, allowing mixture to seep into the cut.

Bake 45-55 minutes, brushing the top again two or three times during baking.

Bread can be baked the day before and wrapped in foil. Warm gently before serving. Slice and serve.

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Dessert and Coffee –
Irish Cream Crème Brûlée
Irish Coffee with Whipped Cream

Irish Cream Crème Brûlée
3 cups Heavy Cream
1 Vanilla Bean
3 tablespoons Irish Cream
8 large Egg Yolks, at room temperature
1/3 cup Sugar
1/2 cup ULTRA FINE White sugar

Heat oven to 300-degrees. Have six 3/4-cup ramekins and shallow roasting pan at the ready.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and vanilla bean. Bring to a gently boil, remove from heat, cover and set aside for 15-30 minutes to blend the flavors. Remove the vanilla bean from the cream. Using the tip of a knife, split the pod and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream. Discard the bean.

Return the cream to medium heat and bring almost to a boil. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, and 1/3 cup sugar until just blended. Slowly whisk in the hot cream. Return the mixture to the saucepan over medium-low heat. Add Irish Cream and cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick enough to coast the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes. DO NOT let it boil. Pour the custard through a strainer into the ramekins, dividing it evenly among them.

Arrange the ramekins in the roasting pans. Pour very hot tap water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the entire pan with foil. Bake until the custards are set but the centers still giggle slightly when the ramekins are gently shaken, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven but leave in the water bath until cool enough to handle, then lift out the ramekins. Cover and refrigerate overnight until well chilled. Remove from refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving.

Just before serving, heat the broiler. Sift 1/2 cup ULTRA FINE sugar over the tops of the custards to form a thin, even layer. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Slip the baking sheet under the broiler, 2-3 inches from heat source. Broil until the sugar melts and caramelizes, about 90 seconds. Turn the ramekins as needed to cook the sugar evenly.

Alternate Method: Use a small kitchen blowtorch to caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately and enjoy the crunch of the caramel, and the smooth richness custard with just a hint of Irish Cream.

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Irish Coffee
2 cups strong Hot Coffee
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
8 teaspoons Sugar or to taste
1/2 cup Irish Whiskey or to taste

Brew your favorite pot of coffee. While the coffee brews, whip Heavy Cream until soft peaks form.

Place 2 teaspoons of sugar in each of 4 mugs. Add 2 tablespoons of whiskey to each mug, then fill with coffee. Hold a spoon, rounded side up, over each mug and slowly pour the cream over the spoon, floating it on top of the coffee. 

Note: For that Saint Patty’s Day Green, whipped cream may be tinted with green food gel to desired shade. A sprinkling of Green Sugar Crystals is also a nice touch.

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Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
You have the words of everlasting life.