History of corned beef and cabbage according to IrishCentral.com
While many North Americans associate corned beef and cabbage with Ireland, this popular St. Patrick’s Day meal has roots in America and is not traditional Irish food.
Corned beef, a salt-cured brisket, was traditionally packed and stored in barrels with coarse grains of salt. By the 17th century, salting beef had become a major industry for the Irish port cities of Cork and Dublin, where Irish beef was cured and exported to France, England and later to America.
With the majority of Irish beef being exported, beef was an expensive source of protein and unavailable to the majority of Irish citizens. Cows, if owned at all, were raised predominately for their dairy products, from which butter, cheese, and cream could be obtained, and were only slaughtered when they were no longer good for milking. Sheep were raised as a source of wool and hogs and pigs were one of the only livestock species raised by the peasantry for consumption.
Salt pork and bacon, therefore, became the commonly consumed meat protein of Irish tables. Fat from bacon supplemented the lack of fat in the farmhouse diet. Even today corned beef and cabbage appears infrequently in Irish pubs and restaurants, except for those in heavy tourist areas, and is much more likely to be replaced by its traditional counterpart – an Irish stew with cabbage, leeks, and a bacon joint.
After the Irish potato blight, or Great Famine, of the mid-19th century, brought hundreds of Irish emigrants to the shores of America, the newly immigrated Irish Americans found corned beef to be both more accessible and more affordable than it was in Ireland. Both corned beef and cabbage were ingredients of the lower working class, and their popularity among the Irish population likely had little to do with similarities to the food of Ireland and more to do with the relatively inexpensive nature of salt-cured beef and green cabbage.
For several decades following the Irish immigration, St Patrick’s Day was celebrated with music, crafts, and revelry but banquets, while lavish, contained a scarcity of traditional Irish cuisine. However by the 1920s, corned beef and cabbage came to have an association with Irish American cooking, although it was also used in the cooking of eastern European Jews.
Whatever the history, American’s will always associate corned beef and cabbage as an Irish tradition and enjoy for St Patrick’s Day. This recipe is easier and quicker than a traditional version because it’s made in the Instant Pot®. I hope you enjoy.
Instant Pot® Corned Beef & Cabbage
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 6 large cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 2 small or 1 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 c. chicken or beef broth preferably organic
- 1 c. water
- 2½ – 4 pound corned beef brisket with spice pack
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 5 large carrots cut into strips
- 1 lbs. red potatoes quartered
- ½ large cabbage head sliced
Instructions
Directions:
- Add garlic, onion, and bay leaves to Instant Pot® container and pour the broth and water on top. Place the trivet that comes with the Instant Pot® inside the container with the handles positioned up for easy removal.
- Place the brisket fat-side down on the trivet and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the spice packet that came with the brisket on top.
- Add the lid and lock into place. Set the vent to “Sealing” and select the “Manual” button. Adjust to the “High” setting and set the cook time to 85 minutes.
- When cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release on any remaining pressure. Remove brisket by carefully lifting the trivet out by the handles (using potholders) and transfer to a platter. Set aside and keep warm.
- Return the trivet to the Instant Pot® and add the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage on top. Cover and lock lid into place. Set the vent to “Sealing” and select the “Manual” button. Adjust cook time to 3 minutes.
- When cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes before doing a quick release on the remaining pressure.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to the serving platter with the corned beef. Slice the beef against the grain and serve immediately along with the vegetables. Enjoy!
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