Corned Beef and Cabbage

Though not readily found in Ireland, corned beef and cabbage is unquestionably the dish most often associated with Irish cuisine.  My Irish/American mother made it for us every year on St. Patrick's Day, and I followed suit with my own family.


In later years, Mother found a recipe for a sweet mustard glaze, that she added just before serving.  I've included that here, as well as instructions for cooking the cabbage.  Serve with any left-over glaze, mustard, and/or prepared horse radish.

1 corned beef brisket, packaged in brine (available in any supermarket in March - select one that is lean and flat)
1 large head of cabbage, cored and quartered
1 small bunch of carrots, peeled and cut into pieces (optional)
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters (optional)
1 large turnip, cut into 2 inch cubes (optional)
water to cover
salt and pepper


Sweet Mustard Glaze
1/2 cup yellow mustard
brown sugar

Open brisket package, carefully remove meat (don't rinse), and the seasoning packet, if one is inside.  Place meat along with brine and seasonings, in large Dutch oven.  Cover with water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and seal with a lid. Simmer on the stove top for about 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender.

Remove brisket from liquid, cover with tin-foil, and set-aside.  Add the cabbage, and any optional vegetables, to the brine inside the Dutch oven.  Taste to make sure the water is salty enough. Bring to a boil, and cook on medium high until the potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, mix the mustard with enough brown sugar to make a sweet glaze.  Cook until the sugar is dissolved.

When the vegetables are cooked, drain well and transfer to a serving platter (I usually place the cabbage in its own deep, serving vessel, but plate the potatoes, carrots and turnip with my sliced corned beef).  Spread the mustard glaze on the entire brisket.  Place under the broiler and watch.  Remove when the glaze starts to bubble and caramelize.  Thinly slice the brisket, across the grain, and serve with the root vegetables, and any left-over glaze.

Nana's Stuffed Cabbage

Nana's "holubki" or little pigeons, are nestled on a bed of sauerkraut, and blanketed with a savory tomato sauce.  I'm fortunate to have a copy of Nana's recipe, written in her hand, with specific instructions to me :)

The city of Pittsburgh, and the surrounding area, has forever been a melting pot of old-world European ethnicities, where one is likely to find a corner restaurant serving not only pickled pigs feet and keilbasa, but pasta and lamb shish-ka-bob as well .  I grew-up believing that every child in America had a grandmother that hand-fashioned potato pierogi, and stuffed cabbage for family celebrations, as mine did.

We realized just how unique Pittsburgh is, when we moved out of the area to find that ethnic in most cities meant Chinese take-out, or the Olive Garden.  My Irish mother, a great fan of anything potato, made it a priority to learn how to make the pierogi, but it was up to me to learn the secrets behind Nana's wonderful little pigeons.


The task seemed daunting at first, and I do admit that it's taken a few attempts to really get the hang of rolling the cabbage, but perseverance paid off in the end.  Though I have found restaurants that serve them, nobody's cabbages taste like Nana's.

The hardest part of making the cabbage rolls, is finding the right head of cabbage.  You'll want to select a large, smooth head.  I've found that I'm better off buying two heads, using the best leaves from each.  You'll have waste, but you can always make cole slaw!

First, core each head.  Use your fingertips to peel away as many whole leaves as possible (tough, but possible with patience), then carefully steam the leaves until they are pliable (not cooked through).  Slide a sharp paring knife along the backside of any leaves that have a large protruding vein, and shave it off, being careful not to cut the leaf.  Set leaves aside.

For the meat filling:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/3 pound lean ground pork
1 cup of cooked white rice (not instant)

Mix the filling ingredients together, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

You'll also need:
1 large can or jar of sauerkraut (do not drain)
1 large can of condensed tomato soup
1 quart of diced or crushed tomatoes (optional)

Line the bottom of a large dutch oven with a layer of cabbage (use your discards, not your whole leaves).  Put 1/3 of sauerkraut on top of the cabbage.  Top with 1/3 tomato.

Arrange the whole leaves on the counter, so the bottom of each is closest to you - cupped side up.  Place slightly more than a tablespoon (you'll be able to judge how much will fit) of filling toward the top of each leaf. Tightly roll the top of the leaf slightly over the filling.  Wrap both sides over the filling, toward the center, and continue rolling toward the bottom of the leaf.

Place each roll, in the dutch oven in such a way as to prevent them from unrolling (see photo above).  Layer again with sauerkraut and tomato.  Continue rolling and layering cabbages.  You should end with a layer of kraut and tomato on top (see note below).

Cover all with the sauerkraut brine and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about ninety minutes (or, after bringing to a boil, cover and bake at 350 degrees for about as long).  Check while cooking to make sure there is enough liquid in the pot so the bottom doesn't burn.  Add water if needed.

My grandmother always served these with either potato pierogi, or mashed potatoes.  Delicious!

(Note:  If you don't have a dutch oven, these can be made in a roaster.  Sray with cooking oil first, and line with cabbage leaves. Put one layer of kraut and tomato on bottom, and then lay the cabbage rolls on top, in a single layer.  Top again with kraut and tomato.  Make sure there is enough liquid in the roaster so the little pigeons don't scorch!)

Yorkshire Pudding

Though the centerpiece of our Christmas dinner table has always been a roasted prime rib of beef; the highlight and family favorite, is the Yorkshire Pudding.  My husband contends, it wouldn't be Christmas without them. 

These tasty little bread-like puddings, originated in Yorkshire, England, in the early 18th century.  Called dripping puddings, because they were made with the fat drippings from roasted lamb, and beef, they've become a staple on English menus. 

4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup fat, rendered from a roast beef or lamb, or from suet*

Note:  It's often hard to gather 1/4 cup of drippings from a roast beef these days, especially if you intend to make pan gravy.  I ask the butcher for a piece of suet (beef fat) and melt it in the oven for my pudding.  You can freeze the leftover suet for future use.  If you are really opposed to using beef fat, you may substitute vegetable oil.  Your pudding will be almost as tasty as if you've used beef fat.

There are several tricks to making Yorkshire Puddings.  First and foremost among them, is timing.  You must time your dinner perfectly or else you'll be serving either cold, over-cooked meat, or deflated puddings, as the puddings must be served immediately.  If you've a double oven, no problem.  Here's what I've done when only a single oven is available:

Since your batter must be room temperature before baking, I like to wait until my roast is just about cooked, and I remove it from the oven to rest on a carving board or warming tray (tent with foil).  The roast will continue to cook another ten degrees while resting, so remember to count the resting time in with your roasting calculations.

Now, you begin cooking the puddings.  While they cook, prepare your pan gravy, and lastly, carve your roast beef (or leg of lamb).  When everyone is seated, serve the puddings, hot-out-of-the-oven!

Directions for preparing batter:
One hour before baking, whisk together the eggs and milk until frothy, and well blended.  Whisk in the flour, one cup at a time until all lumps are gone and the mixture is thick and frothy.  Set aside, at room temperature, for at least 30 minutes.

To bake:
There are two ways to proceed from this point.  You may either bake one large pudding in a 13 x 9 casserole dish, or individual puddings (popovers) in muffin tins.

For the 13 x 9:  pour all of the fat into the casserole.
For the popovers:  divide the fat into either 6 large muffin cups or 12 regular size muffin cups.  I really like the larger cups for popovers because you really get a good healthy portion of pudding.

Place casserole/pan in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until smoking hot (watch carefully so you don't end up with an oven fire).

Remove from oven, and pour batter into the fat (divide evenly among muffin cups).  The batter will sizzle and begin to rise slightly.  Immediately, place in the oven to bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.  Keep an eye on the pudding so it doesn't burn.  The finished pudding should be golden brown and very well-puffed.

Serve immediately or else the puddings will deflate.  If you need to buy a few minutes, turn the oven off, and leave the pudding in the oven with the door slightly open.  Hurry!

The large pudding is best cut into rectangles and served with gravy.  Popovers are to be split and filled with a good size dollop of roast beef gravy.  Mmmm!  There's nothing better!

Christmas Stars - Pinwheels

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without these tender little fruit-filled pastries.

Traditionally, these Austrian pastries were made without any sugar at all.  Our family recipe was altered years ago, and today, each cookie is encased in a coating of crispy caramelized sugar.  Cut into the shape of pinwheels, my children always referred to them as Christmas-stars, as they made an appearance in our house only once a year, to celebrate the birth of Christ.


7 cups flour
4 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 package dry yeast
1 cup very warm (not hot) milk
4 eggs
3 cans Solo (or Bakers brand) apricot, plum, raspberry or strawberry pastry filling
lots and lots and lots of sugar
ground pecans

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.  Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry blender (see Gadgets page) until mixture resembles meal (if you have a heavy-duty Kitchen-Aid Stand-Mixer, use it).

Heat milk until very warm "to the touch" but, not hot (liquid must be hot enough to activate the yeast, but not too hot, or it will kill it).   Add yeast, and stir until it is dissolved.

Pour yeast mixture into a small bowl, and add eggs, one at a time, beating after each.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and pour the yeast-egg mixture into the center of the well.  Using a wooden spoon, or dough hook on a stand mixer, beat thoroughly until a heavy dough forms.

Coat a 13 x 9 glass dish with butter or shortening.  Pack the pastry dough into the dish and smooth over the top, so all is even.  Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  When ready to use, cut the dough into even slices about two inches wide.  Remove a single slice for each batch of pastries, and return remaining dough to the refrigerator.

Line several large cookie trays with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cover a large pastry cloth with about 2 cups of sugar (dough will stick if you don't use enough).  Place a slice of dough in center and pat it into a rough rectangle.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough (start from the center and roll outward, toward the ends) into a very thin sheet of pastry, maintaining the rectangular shape.

With a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut away the jagged ends (throw these back into the casserole and refrigerate for later use) so you have a full rectangle. Carefully cut dough into 1 or 1 1/2 inch squares, by scoring in one direction, and then the other (forming a grid).

Put one dollop of pastry filling in the center of each little dough square.  Pull a fruit filled square from the rectangle, toward yourself, into a small mound of additional sugar (replenish sugar-mound as needed).  From the corners, cut into each square, towards the center of the filling - but not through the center.  Fold alternating corners into the center, pressing with the tip of the knife to seal (if you don't do this correctly, the points will pop up from the center while baking).

Place each little pinwheel on a parchment lined cookie sheet about 1/2 inch apart (cookies will rise slightly when baking).  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes (depending upon size).  These burn easily, so watch and adjust time as needed.  Carefully remove individual cookies from parchment, to a cooling station, or carefully slide the parchment off of the cookie sheet (best accomplished with an extra set of hands) to the cooling station.

These delicate little pastries can be frozen.  Its best to place waxed paper between pastry layers.

From the scraps:  combine the scraps into one big sugary ball.  Roll out in more sugar (to prevent sticking), to form a rectangle.  Do not cut into squares.

Mix pecans, a little sugar and enough milk to form a paste.  Spread the pecan mixture over the rectangle.  Carefully roll the rectangle into a cylinder (from the long side).  Pinch open seam to seal.  Cut the cylinder into very thin slices (1/8 to 1/4 inch wide).  Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Watch carefully so they don't burn.

Irish Potato and Cabbage Soup with Diced Ham

This soup is a take-off on one of my favorite Irish dishes, colcannon.  The braised cabbage gives the soup a slightly sweet flavor.

I'll make no apology for my use of bacon drippings in this recipe!  "Everything in moderation," Mom used to say :)

6 medium russett potatoes, cut into quarters

1 large carrot, finely chopped, or shredded

1 small head of cabbage, finely chopped or shredded

1 small onion, chopped

two large leeks, white part only, finely chopped

2 - 3 tablespoons of bacon drippings (can use butter or cooking oil)

1 small ham steak, diced into 1/4 inch pieces

32 oz vegetable broth (I like Trader Joe's Organic broth)

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 - 2 cups milk or half and half

In a dutch oven or soup pot, combine potatoes, carrot, and vegetable broth.  Add a teaspoon of salt, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the potatoes begin to degrade.

Meanwhile, melt bacon drippings in large skillet.  Add cabbage, onion and leeks.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly with drippings.  Saute until cabbage takes on a golden hue.  Cover, reduce heat and braise until completely tender, about ten minutes. Add ham, toss, and continue to braise on lowest heat while potatoes cook.

When potatoes begin to degrade, remove from heat.  Puree lightly, in batches with cooking liquid, inside a food processor.  Return puree to pot, add 2 tablespoons butter, and the cabbage mixture.  Mix well.  The soup should be very thick.  Thin to the consistency you like, with milk or half and half.  Season with salt and pepper.