Corned Beef Alternative - St. P's Day

[NoraC]

I am having a small dinner party on Thursday for St. Patrick's Day. I just found out that one "date" is a salt sensitive hypertensive. I, of course, have planned the full corned beef and cabbage, Irish Soda Bread, etc meal. all of which trip the sodium meter. I would like to offer a meat that is holiday appropriate, but not packed with corn sized grains of salt. HELP!

 

[PattY1]

I am having a small dinner party on Thursday for St. Patrick's Day. I just found out that one "date" is a salt sensitive hypertensive. I, of course, have planned the full corned beef and cabbage, Irish Soda Bread, etc meal. all of which trip the sodium meter. I would like to offer a meat that is holiday appropriate, but not packed with corn sized grains of salt. HELP!

Brisket, it is the same cut of meat that is usually corned.

 

[Selkie]

You might try a braising a skirt steak that can be treated with the same herbs and spices as a corned beef without all the salt, served with cole slaw (cabbage in which you control the amount of salt when making the dressing, and a rustic loaf of ciabatta, a flat bread common to that era.

 

[PattY1]

You might try a braising a skirt steak that can be treated with the same herbs and spices as a corned beef without all the salt, served with cole slaw (cabbage in which you control the amount of salt when making the dressing, and a rustic loaf of ciabatta, a flat bread common to that era.

What era?

 

[Alix]

There is a thread right now about Champ, you could look at that, and perhaps at colcannon as well. Maybe Irish Stew?

 

[Selkie]

What era?

St. Patrick's Day originated as a Catholic holiday and became an official feast day in the early 17th century. Beef was very expensive in Ireland, generally available only to the nobles, mostly because the salt was the most expensive part of preservation, so a more traditional dish for this holiday by the commoner was actually pork roast, bacon joint or various parts of locally smoked pork.

As St. Patrick's Day become more of a secular celebration of Irish culture and many Irishmen migrated to North America. It was in the late 19th century that corned beef and cabbage as the holiday fare began to take root. When the Irish emigrated to America and Canada, where both salt and meat were cheaper, they treated beef the same way they would have treated a "bacon joint" at home in Ireland: they soaked it to draw off the excess salt, then braised or boiled it with cabbage, and served it in its own juices with only minimal spicing - may be a bay leaf or so, and some pepper.

Corned beef and cabbage is a Canadian and American invention, generally unrecognizable by a native Irishmen as traditional.

Of course, it's all washed down with copious amounts of ale!

 

[NoraC]

Brisket, it is the same cut of meat that is usually corned.

I thought about a plain brisket,. but was afraid it would read as a pale copy of the "real meal" unless I came up with something cool. ... or maybe a different meat entirely.

 

[PattY1]

I thought about a plain brisket,. but was afraid it would read as a pale copy of the "real meal" unless I came up with something cool. ... or maybe a different meat entirely.

You could always BBQ it or search around and come up with a spice mixture that sounds good to you to jazz it up.

 

[megamark]

I have slow cooked a brisket in a slow cooker and in a large pot before. I would chop up some vegetables, add some water and broth, minimal salt, pepper, and maybe some other seasonings to help the flavor. Tender brisket would be great with sauerkraut too.

 

[buckytom]

nora, selkie is partly correct about the history (irish catholic "feast" days weren't about feasting, but rather church) but if you really wanted authentic irish food, staying away from salt, i'd go with a roast leg of lamb, boiled potatoes, and 2 veggies like carrots and cabbage/brussel sprouts, kale, or any root veggie would work.

sheep are everywhere you turn in ireland, so lamb is common for a special meal.

the unwritten rule is always a spud and 2 veg to go with every dinner.

and tea. you've got to offer tea. tea with lots of milk. irishmen drink it 15 times a day, it seems.

hth.

 

[PattY1]

nora, selkie is partly correct about the history (irish catholic "feast" days weren't about feasting, but rather church) but if you really wanted authentic irish food, staying away from salt, i'd go with a roast leg of lamb, boiled potatoes, and 2 veggies like carrots and cabbage/brussel sprouts, kale, or any root veggie would work.

sheep are everywhere you turn in ireland, so lamb is common for a special meal.

the unwritten rule is always a spud and 2 veg to go with every dinner.

and tea. you've got to offer tea. tea with lots of milk. irishmen drink it 15 times a day, it seems.

hth.

I have a good friend who is from Ireland and she told me on St. Patrick's Day the meat is HAM.

 

[DaveSoMD]

The thread has been reopened.

Please, let us keep the conversation on topic and focused on Nora's question.

 

[NoraC]

Thanks, Dave! I grabbed some lamb shoulder steaks and am thinking about barley/braise/warmingness. That may be related to the fact that it is cold and rainy here again. I got a good tip on a sodium free soda for the Irish Soda Bread, so things are looking up

 

[DaveSoMD]

Thanks, Dave! I grabbed some lamb shoulder steaks and am thinking about barley/braise/warmingness. That may be related to the fact that it is cold and rainy here again. I got a good tip on a sodium free soda for the Irish Soda Bread, so things are looking up

Sounds like you have a plan. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[NoraC]

Sounds like you have a plan. Let us know how it turns out!

I will! ...but don't hesitate to toss out ideas, because I haven't quite nailed down the lamb.