What we have come to believe is "traditional" Irish fare - corned beef and cabbage - turns out to be nothing of the kind. Although the Irish had cattle they were mostly for their milk products. It was too expensive to have them for beef. A more common Irish meal might be bacon or side of pork and cabbage. Someone from the Corned Beef Council probably noted the similarity of salted pork to salted beef and voila a myth was born.
In any case our family has enjoyed an easy to prepare version of Corned Beef and Cabbage we named
Corned Beef Casarole and Cabbage:
Ingredients:
6 oz or 2 cups of dry macaroni
12 oz can of corned beef
1/4 lb mild cheddar cheese
1/2 can each of Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup and Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup milk
Preparation:
Boil 2 quarts of water with 1 tsp salt and one tsp margarine. Add macaroni and cook until tender (7-10 minutes) Drain. Mix soup and milk over medium heat. Crumble in corned beef. Add cooked macaroni. Heat to just below boiling. Cube cheese in 1/4 inch cubes and add just before serving. Serve with cabbage boiled until just barely tender. Red cabbage adds color to the meal.
There you go. Easy enough for a child to make but sophisticated enough to serve to guests.
It may not be an Irish tradition, but it is very much an Irish American tradition. I've read that here in the states Corned Beef was cheaper than bacon, but I'm not certain.
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