Irish Pork Stew with Baby Cabbage � What We Should Be Eating on St. Patrick�s Day

I�m sure you�ve heard by now that corned beef and cabbage is not authentic St. Patrick�s Day food. It wasn�t until Irish immigrants, fleeing the great potato famine, arrived in New York, and started hanging out in delicatessens that brisket became the cabbage-adjacent meat of choice.

I assume it was the potato knishes� siren song that initially drew them in, but eventually they got hooked on the corned beef, and the rest is history. So, I decided to do a little mash-up (and mash-under), and this Irish pork stew with baby cabbage was the result. By the way, �baby cabbage� can be a little hard to find, but you can use Brussels sprouts, and no one will know the difference�mostly because there isn�t one.

You can cook them in the stew if you want, but the timing can be tricky, and trust me, you don�t want to eat �baby cabbage� that�s been cooked too long; no one does, So, I highly recommend blanching them first, and warming through at the end.

Since we are using Guinness, I will admit this isn�t a beginner�s stew. The stout gives a ton of flavor, but also a slightly bitter note, which some people do not enjoy. I balanced it with the balsamic vinegar and caraway seed, and it was absolutely wonderful, but I think it�s worth mentioning.

You can leave it out, use a lighter beer, or just splash in some extra stock. Anyway, if you�re looking for beautiful alternative to that traditional �authentic� St. Patrick�s Day meal, then I hope you give this a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions Irish Pork Stew:

2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic clove, minced

2 generous tbsp flour

1 bay leaf

3/4 teaspoon caraway seed

1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness Draft or other dark beer

3 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 ribs celery, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups chicken broth, more as needed

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
12 Brussels sprouts, halved, blanched

mashed potatoes to serve over