Being located right outside of Boston, we know a thing or two about celebrating St Patrick’s Day. Read below for some of our favorite meals to celebrate Saint Patrick. But before we start planning our meals, let us share a little bit about who it is that we are celebrating:
A symbol of Irish culture, [Saint] Patrick was actually born in Great Britain at the end of the fourth century. He was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were after his wealthy family’s estate. He was held captive for 6 years in Ireland, during which he turned to religion as a way to fight his loneliness. He escaped and returned to Britain, but a revelation - an angel in a dream - prompted him to undergo religious training and eventually to go back to Ireland as a missionary. In that era, there was no canonization process in the Catholic Church so he was actually never officially proclaimed a Saint, but was certainly recognized as such by the public. He is believed to have died around 460 A.D. on March 17th, which is now known as St Patrick’s Day.
Corned Beef is THE traditional St Patrick’s Day meal. Early Irish Americans used St Patrick’s day to celebrate their heritage and would feast on corned beef - beef brisket cured in salt and spices for several days - and cabbage and potatoes. We did the curing for you, so for a traditional meal, slow cook our Medium or Large Raw Corned Beef in the slow cooker or in a pot with a beer and enough water to cover the beef. Add an onion (quartered), a couple of carrots, a couple of celery stalks, and let it simmer until the beef is completely tender (target about 50min per pound of meat, potentially less if in a slow cooker on high). Add cabbage and potatoes ~30min before the end of the cook, or remove the beef and cook the cabbage and potatoes in the liquid leftover. Cut the beef against the grain and toss the vegetables in Walden Butter for serving.
Leftover corned beef will be delicious in Corned Beef Nachos (you can also save some of the corned beef and make this an appetizer) - instead of tortilla chips, try thinly sliced baked or fried potatoes, and in addition to cheese, top with drained and rinsed sauerkraut.
Or make Corned Beef Hash by sauteing onions in butter and adding chopped cooked corned beef and cooked potatoes. Cook until brown, pressing down with a spatula, and flip when brown. Cook the other side. Top with fresh parsley and even a fried Walden Egg for a full breakfast.
Alternatively, Shepherd’s Pie is another great way to celebrate Irish culture. Boil ~1.5lbs of potatoes and mash with ~4 tbsp Walden Butter and some garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Sautee one diced onion and add one pound of Walden Ground Beef. Add parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and cook fully. Add 2 tbsp of flour, mix, and add 2 tbsp of tomato paste and ¾ cup of liquid (water or beef broth for extra flavor). Simmer for ~10 min until reduced, and mix in ~1 cup of diced carrots and peas. Spread meat mixture in a prepared 9x9 baking dish or pie dish, and top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with parmesan, and bake at 400 degrees for ~30min, until the meat mixture is bubbly. You can finish with a couple minutes on broil to get a nice, golden color.
You can also make an Irish Stew using either our Lamb Stew Meat! Season ~2 lbs of lamb with salt and pepper and brown in a large pot or Dutch oven (don’t crowd the pan, it’s ok to do it in batches!). Remove the lamb and saute a diced onion (add a bit more fat if not enough is left over after browning the lamb). Add the lamb back and sprinkle with ~3 tbsp of flour. Add 4-6 cups of beef broth and a dark Irish beer, and bay leaf, rosemary and/or thyme, cover and let simmer until the lamb starts to easily break apart, ~90min. Add ~1 lb of small boiling potatoes cut in half and ~ 4 carrots cut in 1-in. chunks. Cook for another ~30min.
And remember, if you’re hosting a party, our salami and cheese are always a good appetizer idea! Try our Fennel Salami, Pepperoni, Grass-Fed Cheddar or Grass-Fed Jack Style Cheese.
Happy St Patrick’s Day to all our Members!
- The Walden Local Team
PS: To learn more about St Patrick, visit History.com, and read more about what is corned beef on The Food Network.