Everyone’s a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! Except, of course, Southerners. We’re still Southern. Taking that into consideration, I thought it might be fun to add a Southern twist to some traditional Irish fare. Corned beef brisket is a long-standing American St. Patrick’s Day entrée. Slap some barbeque sauce on it and suddenly it’s Southern BBQ Corned Beef Brisket. My crock pot method of cooking the tough cut of meat is quite simple. The addition of a slightly sweet and caramelized barbeque sauce adds a smoky depth to the brined meat. I finished my brisket in the oven, but it can also be completed on a grill. Colcannon is a creamy mashed potato dish that’s traditionally made with cabbage. I traded cabbage for collard greens. Add some bacon or cheddar cheese if you really want to take it over the top. Irish Coffee served with a slice of Irish Whiskey Cake is the perfect ending to a delicious St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Coconut, the quintessential Southern dessert staple, pairs well with the carraway seeds, toasted almonds, and lemon zest. Switch up the traditional this year and give these three recipes a try. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Southern BBQ Corned Beef Brisket
For fork-tender results, never boil corned beef. This is a crock pot version of the classic method still preferred by many chefs. I used Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce.
1 (4-pound) corned beef brisket
¼ cup prepared barbeque sauce
Drain packaged corned beef. Place corned beef in a crock pot, fat side up. Add seasoning packet and cover meat with water. Cover and cook on high heat for 4 to 5 hours or until meat is tender. Remove corned beef from crock pot and place in a baking dish. Gently remove fat and discard. Turn corned beef over. Brush with prepared barbeque sauce. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven until meat is browned and sauce has caramelized. Slice corned beef against the grain, diagonally and thin. Serves 4 to 6.
Collard Greens Colcannon
This is one of the BEST new side dishes that I’ve made in a long time! To keep it more authentically Irish, use cooked cabbage instead of collard
greens.
3 pounds red potatoes, skin on
1 stick salted Irish butter, at room temperature
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup milk, plus additional if needed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked collard greens
Wash potatoes and cut into 2-inch pieces. In a saucepan, bring potatoes to a boil in enough water to cover. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain. Place potatoes, Irish butter, cream cheese, and milk in a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, blend until potatoes are softened, and butter, cream cheese and milk are incorporated. Add additional milk, if needed. Do not over mix. Taste for seasonings; add salt and pepper. Fold in collard greens. Place in a lightly greased baking dish and heat in preheated 350-degree oven for 15 minutes just before serving. Serves 6 to 8.
Irish Whiskey Cake
Whiskey provides an authentic taste of Ireland and marries well with the toasted almonds, caraway and lemon. Sweetened coconut gives it a southern flair. I used Jameson Irish Whiskey in this recipe.
1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
1/3 cup Irish whiskey
4 large eggs
1 cup finely chopped slivered almonds, toasted
½ cup sweetened coconut
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Irish whiskey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, caraway seeds, vegetable oil, water, whiskey, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer until batter is thick and well blended. Fold in the almonds, coconut, and lemon zest. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Bake until the cake is golden brown and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 40 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert the cake onto a rack to cool for 30 minutes more. Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and whiskey in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Slide the cake onto a serving platter and pour the glaze over the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides and into the center. Let the glaze set before slicing the cake. Store covered, at room temperature. Serves 12.
The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 843-525-0350 or by email at debbicovington@gmail.com.
