Ireland’s Culinary Heritage Inspires Today’s Hearty Celebrations
Between St. Patrick’s Day and the anticipation of my first-ever visit to Ireland in October, Irish food is top of mind for me these days.
Irish recipes such as Shepherd’s Pie originated from peasant food using ingredients that were affordable and readily available to the poor like potatoes, root vegetables, and leftover bits of lamb. The nourishing, flavorful stew that resulted is a good starting point for inspiring today’s Irish cuisine.
This month’s recipe builds upon the hearty culinary traditions of Ireland’s countryside and neighborhood pubs.
Although beef was not often consumed in ancient Ireland because cattle were considered a symbol of wealth, according to the Irish Beef Council, Ireland has a longstanding heritage of beef farming.
Most of today’s cattle farms have been handed down through families for many generations. Cattle graze on the vibrant green grasses Ireland is known for, resulting in meat that is flavorful and nutritious, but features less marbling than American beef because cattle in the U.S. are generally grain finished.
When it comes to St. Patrick’s Day and cool weather menus, my slow-cooked recipe for Guinness braised short ribs is a great choice.
This dish is incredibly savory thanks to the stout’s dark, rich, earthy characteristics combined with caramelized meat juices that result from searing the ribs in a large stockpot until the bottom of the pot is coated with flavor.
As in much of traditional Irish cooking, the dish simmers slowly over low heat on the stovetop or in the oven with carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and herbs until the meat is ready to fall off the bone. There’s plenty of rich gravy, so I like to serve this stew with creamy, whipped potatoes.
For the table setting, I use a green and white table runner, forest green chargers, and white dinnerware topped with pastel green salad plates. White napkins edged in green, green glassware, and beads complete the look.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Christy Rost is a cookbook author, host of Celebrating Home cooking videos, and longtime Park Cities and Preston Hollow resident. Her ‘At Home with Christy Rost’ cooking series for Eat This TV Network airs on AmazonFire, AppleTV+, Roku, Samsung TV, and YouTube. Visit christyrost.com for details and recipes.
