When it comes to Irish food, a few signature dishes probably spring to mind, like colcannon, or Irish potato salad, boiled cabbage, and stews made with pork and potatoes. You might also be hit with an immediate craving for a corned beef sandwich, which isn’t exactly a traditional Irish food but has its own place in Irish-American culinary history.
Corned beef sandwiches are relatively new to the Irish dining scene. Whereas people in Ireland traditionally eat things like soda bread, stew, potatoes, and pork, it is believed that Irish immigrants in New York and surrounding areas adopted corned beef and cabbage into their diets, since it was cheaper and more readily available than bacon, ham, and potatoes. Ever since, the food items have been universally acknowledged as a cornerstone of Irish-American fare – no wonder you can find them served everywhere, from upscale restaurants to Irish pubs, on St. Patrick’s Day!
Though you may not be able to celebrate the Irish holiday by venturing out to your favorite neighborhood parade or watering hole, you can still savor the flavors of St. Patrick’s Day with this recipe for simple Corned Beef Sandwiches, which yields four sandwiches.
Ingredients:
• 4 tbsp. butter softened
• 8 slices rye bread
• 1/4 c. mustard
• 1/4 c. relish
• 1/2 lb. deli corned beef
• 1/2 c. sauerkraut
Instructions:
• Butter one side of each slice of rye bread. On 4 of the unbuttered sides, spread a layer of mustard and relish.
• Top with corned beef and sauerkraut. Top with remaining slices of bread, buttered side up.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and place the sandwich in the skillet.
• Cook until toasted, 3 minutes per side.
Shake up your household menu – and put your fully equipped kitchen to use – with this easy-to-follow recipe, courtesy of White Rock Apartments in San Antonio, Texas.