THE “LUCK O’ THE IRISH” REVISITED

…more than an estimated 36 million other Americans
My wife and I can both trace some of our ancestry to Ireland, as can more than an estimated 36 million other Americans. We do celebrate St. Paddy’s Day, but mostly because it’s there, rather than for any inherited tradition.

…popular “history”
In any case, much of the popular “history” of the life of this Irish saint is certainly myth. It is believed that he was born in Britain, but taken to Ireland by raiders. It seems that he was held as a prisoner and labored as a Shepard for several years before escaping and returning to Britain.

…he began to have visions
It was apparently after his return to his homeland that he began to have visions and turned his heart to religion. He did train as a priest and legend has it that he was told by an angel in one of his visions to return to Ireland as a missionary. Tradition has it that he died on March 17th around the year 460AD.

… stories that my Irish Catholic mother told me
As we know, story telling and music is a strong part of the Celtic tradition in Ireland and it is difficult over 1500 years later to separate fact from fiction. I remember quite well learning from the stories my Irish Catholic mother told me that the saint drove the snakes from Ireland. Today it is thought that this story is a metaphor for his opposition to the Irish pagans. St. Patrick is also credited with combining the Celtic symbol of the sun with the Christian cross to create what we know today as the familiar Celtic cross.

Legends aside…
Legends aside, many of the customs that we associate with our modern St. Patrick’s Day are American in origin. Our first St. Patrick’s Day parade originated in New York City and our culinary tradition of Corned Beef and Cabbage is an Irish tradition in the cabbage part alone. Although cabbage has most certainly long been a part of the Irish diet, corned beef only became part of the duo at the turn of the last century, again in New York City.

…quirk of fate
It is an interesting quirk of fate that the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and all things Irish has become such a part of our American experience, considering the extreme negativity with which Irish immigrants experienced just a little over a century ago. Now there are at least 100 St. Patrick’s Day parades across the country, with the largest taking place in (where else?) New York City. Boston and Chicago are also well known for their celebrations with the dyeing green of the Chicago River as one of the more outlandish events.

…public imbibing
Americans also associate St. Patrick’s Day with the public imbibing of some serious liquid refreshment and such aberrations as green beer. However, this image is somewhat Americanized as well, considering that in Ireland itself, pubs were closed by law until the 1970’s.

...we have taken considerable license…that…has virtually nothing to do with…Ireland
So, considering the propensity of Americans to interpret traditions in our own way, we have taken considerable license in our own cuisine for this Irish event. A couple of years ago, my wife and I were pondering a menu for our own St. Patrick’s Day merrymaking. Not realizing the truth behind Corned Beef and Cabbage tradition, we started with the idea of smoking the brisket instead of cooking it in or on the stove. That led to our decision to make a super-duper Reuben sandwich, which we did and it was delicious, although it has virtually nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day or Ireland!

…that’s the way I like it
Here are the components: my wife, Gail’s homemade Rye bread, Smoked Corned Beef Brisket, Bavarian Sauerkraut, good Swiss cheese and homemade Thousand Island dressing. Yes, I know that most recipes call for a “Russian” dressing, but I first had a Reuben made with Thousand Island dressing and that’s the way I still like it and there you have it.

Gail’s Rye Bread
Before I met my wife, I did not own a bread maker and didn’t have a very high opinion of them either. But you know, after the first time I tasted a loaf that she made in her bread machine, I thought -why on earth am I being so uppity about this? The machine makes a perfectly decent product, easy to slice AND I don’t have to make it.

Place into the mixing case of the bread machine the following three ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 Tblsps. Molasses
1 ½ Tblsps. Butter

Next, add:
2 cups unbleached white (Bread Machine) flour
1 cup rye flour
1 Tblsp. sugar
½ Tblsp. dry milk
2 tsp. salt
2 Tblsps. Caraway seeds
1 package active dry yeast

Turn on Bread Machine to whole wheat mode and allow to process and bake. Cool thoroughly before slicing.

Thousand Island dressing
Yields about 4 cups

1 ½ cups celery, finely chopped
½ cup sweet or dill pickle relish
1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chili sauce
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
½ tsp. sea salt
2 cups mayonnaise (homemade if you have the time)

1. Combine all ingredients and stir together well. This can be made in a food processor; just do not over process it.

Smoked Corned Beef Brisket

One 2 or 3 lb. piece of brisket

1. Allow brisket to sit overnight in the brine and pickling spices that usually come with it, pickling your own from scratch is easy, but we will get into that another time.
2. To smoke the meat: Light your fire (natural hardwood charcoal is best)- as a matter of fact, the famous French chef Jacques Pepin feels that natural wood charcoal produces a significantly lower amount of tar on the cooked meat than does processed briquettes.
3. Place wood chips (we have had good results from hickory, wild cherry and mesquite) for smoking on top of charcoal and place brisket on top of clean rack. Depending on the type of grill that you are using and the heat that is generated it will take about 45 minutes for each side. We generally cook ours to about an internal temperature of 140 degrees. When done remove the meat from the grill, cover with aluminum foil and allow to sit for at least15 minutes before slicing.

Next, all you need is a 14oz. can of Bavarian Sauerkraut and some slices of a good Swiss cheese. Spread a little dressing onto the sliced bread and pile it up with thin slices of the smoked meat, sliced cheese and a hearty pile of sauerkraut and top it with another slice of bread. Toast the sandwich slightly in a toaster oven or a Panini machine. Serve with a little more dressing on the side and a great dill pickle.

Here’s to an excellent St. Paddy’s Day celebration- make a Reuben, put on CD by the Chieftains, open a Guinness and enjoy!

“May you never forget what is worth remembering or remember what is best forgotten.”