It's a bit o' the Irish...

Hold the phone I have recipes to share! Every year when St. Paddy’s Day rolls around, my husband Brad likes to make Corned Beef and Cabbage. For several years he would throw it all in a pot and boil it. It tasted okay but it looked so pink and ugly! Then a couple years ago I found this recipe on-line for roasted corned beef – roasted in brown sugar and beer. Can you beat that??? He made it and it was delish…and it looked good too!

Guinness Corned Beef

(originally found on AllRecipes.com)

4 pounds corned beef brisket
1 cup brown sugar
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Irish stout beer like Guinness®

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Rinse the beef completely, pat dry. Place the brisket on rack in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Rub the brown sugar on the corned beef to coat entire beef, including the bottom. Pour the bottle of stout beer around, and gently over the beef to wet the sugar. Cover, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

An Irish buddy of Brad’s suggested he make Colcannon as a side to his corned Beef. Colcannon is an Irish dish made of cabbage, kale, or other greens, and potatoes boiled and mashed together. Brad found the following recipe – again, a BIG hit.

Colcannon

(originally found on Busycooks.about.com)

2 pounds russet potatoes
4 slices bacon
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 leek, rinsed and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1/3 cup butter
1 cup hot milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper

Peel potatoes and cube. Place in saucepan and cover with cold water. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in large saucepan until crisp and browned, turning often while cooking. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain; crumble. To drippings remaining in saucepan, add olive oil. Cook onion, garlic, and leeks until crisp tender, about 3-5 minutes. Then add cabbage, cover, and cook for 6-10 minutes until cabbage is tender.

When potatoes are cooked, drain and return potatoes to hot pot; shake over low heat for a few minutes to dry. Add butter and mash. Add milk and salt and pepper; beat until combined. Stir in bacon and cabbage mixture. Serve immediately, or place in serving dish and keep warm in 200 degrees F oven for 1 hour.

Every year Brad invites over friends for an Irish bash. When we lived near our friends the Callans it was the big Allen-Callan Irish Bash. Brad sets the table with beer glasses that have a drop of green food coloring in the bottom. Then when he pours the beer it magically turns green. He gets a kick out of that every year. So happy St. Paddy’s Day in advance! Slap on a shamrock and give these great recipes a try. The luck of the Irish be with you!