Corned Beef and Cabbage is a popular dish among Americans on St. Patrick's Day, but

[elleng]

did you know the Jewish history behind it? Traditionally, in Ireland, cabbage is paired with pork bacon. However, during the 19th century, as Irish immigrants moved to the U.S., they discovered there was a lower-cost meat alternative to pork. It was their Jewish neighbors who introduced the cured meat and Kosher butchers to the community when they noticed some similarities in the two salty meats. Cooking the corned beef together with cabbage proved to be a low-cost and delicious solution; and the rest is history.

[applegrove]

1. We had it last night but I did not know it was a St Paddy's tradition.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Yes it is an American dish.

My Irish immigrant grandparents never ate corned beef and cabbage.
It was something Americans ate.

I have a Jewish (married in) family member.
He makes "Irish" corned beef and cabbage every year for me on St. P's Day.
I keep telling him it is a Jewish dish, not an Irish one.
He just laughs and keeps making it every year. He loves it.

[elleng]

3. We (combined Jewish/eastern European/Irish/Catholic/agnostic)

had it often!!!

[Irish_Dem]

5. Yes we do too.

We also have an Asian family member so we do an Irish/Catholic/Eastern European/Jewish/Asian combination.

We try to keep each holiday traditional. So for Hanukah we will light the menorah and sing
the brocha, eat brisket and latkes.

But then some really miss their rice or dumplings so we add that. And others keep adding
their favorite food, so we get a bit blended.

We do all the Jewish, Christian, Chinese holidays so it makes for a long list of celebrations.
The kids think they have the best family in the world because of all the special food and gifts
that never seem to stop.

[elleng]

7. Sounds like you DO have the best family in the world!

Makes for a LONG holiday season!

[Irish_Dem]

9. Yes it is a looong holiday season.

But we have done it for many years now, so we are used to it.
And we love it so much.

Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas, New Year's, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day,
St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Passover. Then we get into summer birthdays.

Each ethnic holiday has unique food, gifts, rituals, prayers, traditions.

One of our jokes is that we all love (India) Indian food and we are trying to find
a way to add that ethic group to our family.

We recently had a regular white christian type marry into the family.
Her head is still spinning!

[elleng]

10. WOW!

We get 2 winter birthdays in the mix, then June!

[yorkster]

4. Neat story. Had some yesterday and it was

the best I've ever had . I might even call the restaurant to find out the spice combo. The corned beef just fell apart and had an interesting taste of herbs or spice, as well as being not too salty.
Maybe they cooked brisket? We rarely eat beef, but I'd like to try this myself.

[Kali]

11. corned beef is usually brisket

the curing turns it pink but either way can be cooked with other different flavorings

[yorkster]

12. Thx. Thought that might be the case.

[cachukis]

6. New England boiled dinner.

Immigrants sought out the least expensive meals. The Irish boiled potatoes and ham, shoulder or such.
Corned beef entered the mix.
The New England boiled dinner was often smoked shoulder, rarely making it to Brahmin tables.
Lots of Irish in Boston, hence corned beef and winter vegetables became associated with the tradition.

[Warpy]

8. It also owes a bit to the New England boiled dinner

which uses a cheap and tough roast beef cooked slowly with root veggies, cabbage added toward the end of the cooking.

I think my own objections come from the fact that I'm just not a big meat eater. The veggies are fine, you can have my share of the cow or pig or whatever. I can cope with things that fly or swim. I just can't cope with heavy mammalian stodge.

Y'all can have my share.