Corned Beef and Cabbage

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by Maniac Craniac, Mar 17, 2017.

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  1. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    I just made corned beef and cabbage and ate it today for the first time ever. Somehow, I've made it through 3 decades of life before ever learning that this is a traditional St. Patrick's Day meal. Anyway, I bought both corned beef and cabbage this week because it was at a deep discount- about 1/3 of what it would normally cost- and am a sucker for a good deal.

    Holy moly roly poly canoli. This stuff is delicious. Delicious enough that I decided to make a post about it. If these sales appear yearly, you bet I'm making this at least once a year, even though I care jack squat about St.Patrick's day.

    It's also easy as can be. I just put it in my slow cooker for a few hours with a few herbs and spices, without even following a recipe, measuring anything or thinking much about what I was doing.

    Yum. :bigok:
     
  2. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    I love corned beef and cabbage. I take my Irish lassie out for St. Patrick's day ever year! Yummy. Nobody makes it like my mom though! Yummy :smile:
     
  3. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    My own mother was never much of a cook. Hopefully she taught you a few tricks along the way. :yup:
     
  4. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    I suck as a cook. Last time I cooked for my little nephews, they threw it all up! All I made was scrambled eggs and hash browns. I guess it didn't help that I let them have orange soda to wash it down with! He he
     
  5. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I'm not a big history buff but when you grow up in Boston you pick up a few things . . .
    St. Patrick's Day is a religious and cultural holiday, a big Irish thing, especially in Boston. The story I got is that when the Irish shifted the balance of political power in Boston and became a dominant force they went looking for a way to celebrate. They couldn't quite manage "Irish Day" and so they created a holiday called "Evacuation Day" which celebrates the departure of the British near the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Then they co-opted Evacuation Day and turned it into St. Patrick's Day. No one even thinks of Evacuation Day anymore, even though it remains the official holiday celebrated on March 17th.

    Please remember, don't "Wet the shamrock" and drive.:trink26::drive::cop:
     
  6. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    I don't think the Irish really eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's day do they? I believe it is an American thing.
     
  7. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    You know why the Irish eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day?

    So they won't puke-up a good meal later in the evening.

    <rimshot>
     
  8. jhp

    jhp Member

    Beef would have been very expensive in Ireland. They were mostly used as beasts of burden and for milk. It was lamb or pork that would be a celebratory meal.
     
  9. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  10. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    I read that somewhere.
     
  11. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

  12. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    'Tis an article from the Smithsonian: Is Corned Beef Really Irish? | Arts & Culture | Smithsonian

    Sure, an' I don't eat it meself. The taste is foine, but too much salt, sez me doctor. Oi tell ye truly, 'tis called corned beef because 'twas originally made with salt crystals the soize of corn kernels! Saints presarve us! :shock:

    J.
     
  13. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    I believe you believe correctly. As said in other posts, meat was expensive and people were mostly poor. It's the same with the southern Italian food so popular here.
     
  14. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    Steve once again has the best line of the thread :haha:
     
  15. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    If you have any leftovers, you can make rubens.

    Rye bread- slices of corned beef- swiss cheese- thousand island dressing- sauerkraut.

    Butter both pieces of bread, and prepare like you were making regular grilled cheese. A tip- when you turn it to toast the second side, if it's not super melty/yummy, cover the pan for a minute to let it steam/heat- and then uncover and finish browning.

    Ohhhh baby! ;)
     
  16. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    The way I prep my meals, there are no real leftovers, there are just several identical pre-planned meals over the course of a few days. i did, however, buy a second slab of corned beef because the price will not be this good again for another year. Sometime down the road I'm going to thaw it out and I think that making rubens will be a great idea. I love rubens, but I've never made one from home.
     
  17. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    I wish I knew how to cook.
     
  18. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    I tried a Reuben sandwich once and didn't like it at all. But there are a variety of 'Reubens' so make it your way.
     
  19. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    variations:
    Type of bread: Typically dark rye, however, there are less "ryeish" rye options like light rye and even plain white bread if you're really picky.
    Type of cheese: Ok, seriously, if you want the best swiss cheese for a hot sandwich, you need baby swiss. You should be sure it's "actual" cheese, not "cheese food" which is well.... not actual cheese. If you're unsure, a good rule of thumb- you'll need to slice it yourself. If it comes sliced, it might be crap. That said, most Americans consider the best cheese for grilled cheeses to be Velveeta- so if that's your fav, then use it.
    Type of dressing: Thousand Island comes in a zillion brands. Go with your gut here.
    Sauerkraut: Most restaurants let you have this on the side or not at all. If you're not a fan of sauerkraut, eating it on a ruben won't make you a fan- leave it off.

    Finally- cook it properly. Most restaurants use a butter flavored oil to make hot sandwiches on the griddle. This is gross, because it has too high a melting point- in short, it feels like grease in your mouth. The reason you should use butter is because it has a lower melting point, and won't have the same mouth feel. It makes a difference! In addition, if you don't have a nice flat pan, you'll get jacked-up-wonky grill patterns with half toasted and half soggy. Use a flat pan. Medium heat. Make sure it's even on both sides, and double check that it's hot inside (see lid tip mentioned earlier). Serve right away.
     
  20. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Ummm....what??

    :puke:
     

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