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Mar 12, 2015 4 min read

I’m very proud of my Italian heritage and everyone who knows me well is aware of this fact. In five short days, it will be the one day of the year when heritage isn’t taken so seriously.

On March 17, everyone is Irish.

March 17, as you know, is St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick’s Day commemorates St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, as well as celebrating the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.

St. Patrick’s Day has become much more than a religious holiday. A lot of people celebrate each year with parades, drinks, food and different Irish themed festivities. These celebrations generally include parades and festivals along with the wearing of green attire and/or shamrocks.

One of the common traditions is to cook and enjoy different Irish foods on St. Patrick’s Day. Irish cuisine takes its influence from the crops grown and animals farmed in its temperate climate.

The potato was introduced to Ireland during the second half of the 16th century and it heavily influenced Ireland’s cuisine. Some of the most common dishes that represent Irish cuisine are Irish stew, bacon and cabbage, colcannon potatoes, and of course corned beef and cabbage.

Guinness is one of my favorite beers to enjoy all throughout the year, but especially on St. Patrick’s Day. You’ll find Guinness in my recipe below for corned beef and cabbage.

The recipe attached to this column is my personal corned beef and cabbage recipe that I like to make for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s made in a crock-pot so it is an extremely easy to recipe and it is also extremely delicious.

Another thing I really enjoy about this dish are the vegetables. I love cippoline onions, which are really just small sweet onions, but if you can’t find them you can always substitute a regular sweet onion that has been medium diced. The Yukon gold potatoes, parsnips, and cabbage all slow cooked in beef stock and Guinness with a slab of corned beef is an extremely delicious way to enjoy your veggies.

I can’t think of a better and more delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than with a large bowl of my corned beef and cabbage paired with an ice-cold point of Guinness. Happy St. Patrick’s Day and enjoy the Irish celebration!

Mario Porreca of Belle Vernon is an entrepreneur, author, lifestyle solutions expert, and the host of Just Cook It Radio. He can be reached at: www.MarioPorreca.com. Twitter: @MarioPorreca

Mario’s corned beef and cabbage

Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

1 ½ pounds petite Yukon gold potatoes, quartered into wedges

1 pound baby carrots

½ pound cipolline onions, peeled

2 tablespoons finely minced garlic

1 quart beef stock

1 4-pound corned beef brisket

1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into large pieces

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes

10 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

½ tablespoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon white peppercorns

½ teaspoon pink peppercorns

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 tablespoons dried dill weed

1 bottle (11.5 ounces) Guinness Draught

½ head cabbage, cut into bite size pieces

Coarse sea salt to taste

Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. In a crock pot on low setting, add the potatoes, carrots, onions, minced garlic, and beef stock and stir to combine.

2. Rinse the corned beef brisket under cold running water to remove any excess brine and dab dry with paper towels.

3. Place the corned beef brisket, fat side up, into the stock and then add the parsnips, diced tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf to the crock pot as well.

4. Add the peppercorns, celery seed, coriander seed, and dill to the crock pot and top with the bottle of Guinness.

5. Place the lid onto the crockpot and allow the corned beef and vegetables to cook on the low setting for 7 hours.

6. After cooking for 7 hours, add the cabbage to the crock pot and gently stir to incorporate it evenly. Place the lid back onto the crock pot and cook on low setting for an additional 4 – 5 hours. The corned beef should be tender but not falling completely apart wen you pick it up.

7. Remove the corned beef from the crock pot and turn the crock pot down to the “keep warm” setting.

8. Allow the corned beef to rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before trimming some of the fat off and discarding. Thinly slice the corned beef across the grain and serve with the vegetables and broth. Season to taste with coarse sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper just before serving.