Menu Monday: Way Too Easy St. Patty's Day Dinner

I love holidays and many of them for food reasons, but I don't think I crave any holiday dinner like I do St. Patrick's Day fare. Turkey and sides are good but not my fav, a gorgeous ham is great but a finely cooked plate of corned beef and cabbage with a nice glass of Irish Beer is delish beyond words. The SADDEST thing ever is that some people hate it. I declare to you....if you hate it, you made it wrong! There is no way to hate this meal when it's done right. Still, it is an easy one to screw up royally and I have. I want to save you from that and take ALL the stress out of the process because I have found it one of the easiest dishes to make. WAY easier than Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner.

The fact is, corned beef on it's own is easy to get wrong, and cabbage on it's own is easy to get wrong. You don't want a tough meat, and you don't want soggy cabbage. Trust me, you're kids will learn to hate this meal if it comes out that way. I found a secret that allowed perfection ever time and my kids beg for more cabbage when it's done this way! All you need are two crock pots!

Many corned beef pkgs come with oven instructions....well, ignore them. Many call for boiling the meat which just KILLS me! Do you know what happens when you boil meat? All the flavor leaves and goes out into the water and unless you plan to make St.Patty's day SOUP, this is insane. All that briny goodness is going to be put to work to make your cabbage the best you have ever had, and you don't want to waste it! Boiled cabbage is just as gross so just throw that idea out the window as far as I'm recommending. The one time I followed their advice for the oven, I had tough meat that would not cut and no one wanted. If you have done it with success, please post your comment and suggestions and I may try again someday but my method is a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" for me. Also, it is so easy it could make you cry.

I use a very large crock pot for the meat and cabbage. I'm not sure the size, but this is the one I use:

I either use one large brisket or two small ones. Just put them from the package into the crock pot in the morning (around 8 am should do). SET ASIDE the seasoning pkg for a moment though that comes with the brisket.

Take one to two cabbages depending on size (remember, they shrink so use as much as your pot will hold..sometimes I put a heavy item on my crock lid if it's a tiny bit lifted from the cabbage to squish it down until it softens and falls...but don't leave a space or it won't cook right). Wash the cabbage and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut out the core at the bottom but only the core. Now cut each half in thirds or quarter large wedges depending on the size of the head. Take a moment to sprinkle half of the seasoning pkg on the meat. Simply keep wedges whole (separating them makes them cook too soon and the pieces fall down into the broth getting ...yep..soggy) and arrange tightly on top of the meat. Sprinkle remaining seasoning pkg. Don't add salt, or pepper or anything else! NO WATER! PLEASE....NO WATER!

Put the lid on and set on high for about a half an hour if you can and then set to low. If you are leaving just set to low. Around dinner time you should have perfectly falling apart corned beef and soft but textured and VERY flavorful cabbage. More on removing and serving below.

The potatoes should be small and red ones. Wash and half only if they are a bit large. If they are small, just leave them whole. I use my regular size crock pot for this. Mine is the blue one pictured here with the crock pot lady who btw has an great website I have down in my left hand links.

(I believe the ME one I have is comparable to the large one on the right so that gives you an idea...I'm sorry I don't have measurements for you!)

Just clean the potatoes and put them in with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of parsley if you like. Put on low and they will be perfect by dinner.

The soda bread has been my only problem. Last year I made a recipe that was more of a sweet bread and although it was good, I really wanted more authentic fare this time. I will be trying the traditional southern Ireland cake version demonstrated well here. The page also has a fun history of soda bread that you can read over or share with your kids. They usually like that kind of stuff and it makes the holiday a full adventure.

Serving the corned beef and cabbage I have a particular method that gives fuller flavor to the dish. About half an hour to an hour (depending on how well cooked your cabbage is) before serving open the crock pot and switch the order of the meat and cabbage. Just take the brisket out and let the cabbage fall down in the juices. Replace the brisket on top of the cabbage and put the lid back on. Again, don't do this long if your cabbage is pretty soft all ready. When you serve place the brisket on a platter and slice into portions. You can either surround it with the cabbage wedges and drizzle with the juices, or you can serve the cabbage in a bowl (my preference) and pour a great deal of the juices over them so they stay warm and still season at the table. The potatoes are pretty easy, just take them out and serve!

Top this off with a nice Guinness for you and the hubby and enjoy! If you like you can finish off with an authentic Irish dessert (suggestionshere (that Guinness cake looks good..mmm...or here) or just some green jello or ice cream. If you can manage an Irish cream coffee, that would be a great ending as well. Of course, put on some great Celtic sounds! Pandora is great for this and you can just start with Celtic Woman to get your station going.

We always finish off St.Patrick's Day with the reading of his story and watching the Veggie Tales short on St.Patrick found on the Sumo Of the Opera DVD. It's important, just like with the real St.Nicolas, for kids to know the heart and sacrifices these men made for the love of Christ. I believe Focus On the Family may even have a radio drama for St.Patrick. I'll have to confirm that but you may want to check out their website.

I get a special treat this year because Rick is off St. Patty's day! I'm looking forward to it and I'm planing on having the girls help me with the bread so they can learn.