I made a delightful corned beef in the crock pot yesterday for dinner, in honor of St. Patrick's Day this week. I only make corned beef once a year, but I really should do it more often. It's the super easiest thing to make; pop it in the crock pot, cover it in water, let it sit on low for 8 hours, and ta-da, it's done. The hardest part is afterwards when I meticulously cut off all the fat. I made mashed cauliflower and boiled carrots to go with it, and it was a great little dinner. I know cabbage and potatoes are what are traditionally served with corned beef, but I've never liked boiled cabbage (I really detest the smell of it) and I stopped eating potatoes when I went keto a few years ago. I decided to look up what the deal is with the whole corned beef and boiled cabbage on St. Patrick's Day, and I learned some interesting facts from Smithsonian Magazine.
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British Origins: The British invented the term “corned beef” in the 17th century because the salt used to cure the beef was the size of corn kernels (which made the taste much more salty than we know it today). For decades, England got their cattle from Ireland but the Cattle Acts of 1663 and 1667 stopped this exportation, and since Ireland’s salt tax was almost 1/10 that of England’s, the Irish started making their own corned beef for cheap and supplied it to Europe and America. Sadly, the Irish people producing the corned beef could not afford it for themselves.
Jewish Influences: When the Irish immigrated to America, they made more money than in Ireland, and they could afford corned beef for the first time, which they purchased from kosher Jewish butchers. This was a different kind of corned beef than made in Ireland, made from brisket, a kosher cut of meat from the front of the cow. Since brisket is a tougher cut, the salting and cooking process transformed the meat into the extremely tender, flavorful corned beef we know today. The Irish may have been drawn to settling near Jewish neighborhoods and shopping at Jewish butchers because their cultures had many parallels. Both groups were scattered across the globe to escape oppression, had a sacred lost homeland, were discriminated against in the US, and had a love for the arts. (This Irish-Jewish relationship can be seen in popular folklore; for example, James Joyce made the main character of his masterpiece "Ulysses", Leopold Bloom, a man born to Jewish and Irish parents.)
Irish American Celebration: What we know as St. Patrick's Day celebrations came from the Irish Americans, who transformed St. Patrick’s Day from a religious feast day to a celebration of their heritage and homeland, with a celebratory meal including corned beef, their beloved potato, and the most affordable vegetable, cabbage. The celebration in America eventually grew to include parades, festivals, and an emphasis on drinking, and has only slowly and recently made it to Ireland. (Until 1970, pubs were closed by law in Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day.)
A few more fun facts:
Abraham Lincoln chose the menu for his first Inaugural Luncheon on March 4, 1861 to be corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes
A crystal bowl of shamrocks is given by the president of Ireland to the president of the United States each St. Patrick's Day.
St. Patrick’s Day can be shortened to St. Paddy’s Day but not St. Patty's Day. (Paddy is the proper nickname for Patrick, while Patty is a girl's name in Ireland.)
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By the way, we ate our dinner standing up while working in the kitchen, and we finished the new floor!! It looks absolutely stunning; I'm so proud of us (but especially my husband).
The other delightful thing about making corned beef is that we have leftovers for omelets in the morning for about a week. Yum!
With delight,
♥Jamie
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