Irish Slow Cooker Cooking Tips

When Irish Cooks Are Smiling

Think of Irish cuisine and you probably think about corned beef and cabbage, right?  Well, yes, that may be true.  But, are there ways we can enjoy this cuisine besides at St. Patrick's Day?  Of course there are.  Let's take a look at what we know and love about Irish cuisine.

We Eat What We Have

Like other cuisines, the Irish recipes and dishes we see today are a bit removed from their origins.  The Irish ate from the land, just like everyone, especially before the days of transporting foods around the world.  Soups and stews were made with root vegetables and mutton, most often.  Potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, parsnips, and the like were added to a big pot of water, then a bit of mutton, or more likely just the bone, was added for flavor.

If a family was lucky they may know a neighbor raising a pig and be able to share in the meat when it came time.  No matter what the source, each ingredient was stretched as far as it could be stretched to fill a pot.  Potato soup was a staple, sometimes with just a sprinkling of ham or the flavor from a ham bone thrown in.

When beef was available, it had to be either eaten fast or preserved somehow.  Corned beef is the result of salt-curing the beef in order to keep it as long as possible.  Through the years, corned beef has evolved from just a simple salt-cured product to a very nicely seasoned cured beef available at any grocery store.  But, originally it was a tough, but safe, cut of beef that could be added to a stew and slow cooked along with vegetables.

Beer is a Well Regarded Ingredient

Another element of living on the barren Irish landscape was that fresh water was often a limited commodity.  Like many cultures, the Irish learned to ferment grains in water to not only have something to drink that was safe, but something to drink that they liked!

What the Irish discovered is that when beer is used in cooking, it tenderizes the meat and 'lightens' a dish.  The bubbles or carbonation, along with the hops and grains, made bland soups, stews, and other dishes taste better.  A simple potato soup can go from plain to having layers of flavor with the addition of one stout ale.  Now when we think of making the most mundane Irish recipe we know, corned beef and cabbage, with the addition of a dark beer, we won't hear any complaints.

Slow Cooker Cooking and Irish Recipes Go Hand in Hand

Back then, most regular folks didn't have the best cuts of meat to cook.  There really wasn't a filet mignon or tenderloin on the grill at a typical Irish farmer's home.  Meat needed to be cooked low and slow to be tender.

Doesn't that sound familiar?  The slow cooker is the perfect place to start an Irish stew cooking.  Or your Corned Beef and Cabbage.  All the ingredients found in Irish cooking work perfectly in a slow cooker.  Just remember to add a stout ale at the last minute to enjoy the pleasure of what Irish cooking is all about.