Many with Irish heritage grow up loving corned beef and thinking its a large part of their culture. In fact, people all around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a large plate of corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage. However, as it turns out, corned beef might not actually be an Irish dish…
St. Patrick’s Day Tradition
In case you’ve never had any of March 17, also known as St. Patrick’s Day, let us fill you in on precisely what corned beef is. Corned beef is a meat that’s been salt-cured, with large rock salt, also called “corns” of salt, where the dish gets its name. However, today, its actually more common to use a salt brine than a cure, but the end result is nearly the same. The beef is then thinly sliced and served alongside potatoes and steamed cabbage.
For many years, people have believed that corned beef came over with Irish immigrants. However, is that really true? Recently, some food historians attempted to trace the origins of corned beef. And what they found was incredibly interesting!
The Origins of Corned Beef
As it turns out, corned beef is Irish – well, sort of! It’s actually the descendant of a recipe known as Irish Bacon. While the recipe does call for steamed cabbage and potatoes as a side, it actually uses, as the name suggests, salt-cured bacon instead of beef. So while the dish might seem similar, it, in fact, tasted very different! In Ireland, beef was expensive, but pork and bacon less son. However, when Irish immigrants came to America, they found the opposite! So, they began making the dish with beef, leading to corned beef today.
“While Irish beef has always been noted for its flavor, corned beef was equally relished,” wrote Brid Mahon in his book Land of Milk and Honey. “Boiled and served with green cabbage and floury potatoes, it was considered an epicurean dish, to be eaten at Hallowe’en, at Christmas, on St. Patrick’s Day, at weddings and at wakes, a tradition that was carried to the New World by the emigrants of the 18th and 19th centuries. To this day, corned beef and cabbage are served on St. Patrick’s Day and at Thanksgiving in parts of North America. Bacon, corned beef, sausages, and pudding are all mentioned in The Vision of Mac Conlinne, the 12th-century tale that also describes the condiments served with meats.”
Want to make something authentically Irish this Saint Patricks Day? We’ve got you covered! Why not try cooking Colcannon? Like corned beef, it includes new potatoes boiled with white cabbage, leeks or onions with butter, milk, and garlic. The yummy taste will bring Irish festivities to your table!
Sources: Kitchen Magazine, Westchester Magazine