Here's To St. Paddy

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

(Scroll down to "The Playlist" and hit play before reading... works better that way!)

tis like a morn in spring. In the lilt of Irish laughter, you can hear the angels sing.  Or, maybe it's the Irish Coffee.  Ha, whatever... it's a great day to be alive.  Irish or not, it's a great excuse to drink, eat corned beef and cabbage, see the parades and "Party Hardy Marty"!  

So, come on in for a great recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage, a great Irish Playlist, and a little Irish Coffee.

The pots are on...

The Plate... 

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Well well... a little brine and thine for ya on this St. Patty's Day weekend celebration.  See, you need a good base again before you go out day-drinking, watching parades and partying.  You are going to the  parade... right?

Well, there is nothing better than a little corned beef and cabbage to start off your celebration.  It's easier to make than you think.  You just need to plan ahead a little so you can "brine" the meat.

I love it...  So tender and so full of flavor.  We need to make this more often than just on St. Patty's.

What you need...

For the Brine:

1 cup kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tblsp coriander

1 1/2 tblsp mustard seed

1 1/2 tblsp black peppercorns

1 1/2 tblsp allspice

about 4 sprigs marjoram

4 sprigs of thyme

2 bay leaves

For the meat:

3 pound Brisket

3 tblsp olive oil

1 onion halved

6 carrots chopped 

1 head of celery chopped

1 head of garlic halved

1 small cabbage cut into 6 - 8 wedges

2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of marjoram

What you do...

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.  

Now place the brisket into the bowl and rub the mix all over the meat. 

Add cold water to completely cover the brisket. (you may need to weight it down with a plate).

Refrigerate at least overnight or 2 - three days. The longer the better. 

Heat your oven to 300 degrees. 

Heat a large dutch oven on the stove at medium-high heat.

Add the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves and marjoram.

Cook for  about 10 minutes to soften the vegetables. 

Take the meat out of the brine and rinse. Place the meat on top of the vegetables. 

Add water just enough to cover the meat and bring to a boil. 

Reduce to a simmer and place lid on the pot and cook for 15 minutes.

Now add the cabbage, cover and place in the oven.

Cook for 3 hours. 

When done let the meat rest for 10 minutes then cut across the grain. 

Serve with the cabbage in a bowl. 

The Playlist... 

Here's To St. Patty

Oh, the music in the air!  An' the joy that's everywhere.  Shure, the whole blue vault of heaven is wan grand triumphal arch, an' the earth below is gay.  Wid its tender green th'-day.  Fur the whole world is Irish on the Seventeenth O' March! - Thomas Augustin Daly.

So here's to you Mr. Daly... a song list to make an Irishman proud. As usual we have some old and some new.  All of it guaranteed to help you "shake your shamrock". 

Grab you green beer and sing along to "Irish Eyes" and the "Drunken Sailor", then buckle up for the The Blaggards and the Dropkick Murphys. They put a little kick and a new twist on some old classics as well as some of their originals.  And last... if you haven't heard Tara O'Grady's version of Danny Boy, well you are in for a treat.

("The Playlist" runs on Spotify. Don't have Spotify?... Click here it's free )

The Bar... 

A little Irish Coffee to go

What you need...

2 oz Baileys Irish Cream

2 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey

1 cup hot coffee

1 tblsp whipped cream

dash of fresh ground nutmeg

What you do...

Combine Baileys, Whiskey with the coffee. Top it off with the whipped cream and nutmeg. 

Now your ready to go to the parade.  Don't forget your green. 

Top o' the morning to ya! 

And remember, when Irish eyes are smiling... 

they're up to something!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!