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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with homestyle Irish classics
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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with homestyle Irish classics

There’s nothing like celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a heaping plate of Irish comfort food. But you don’t have to wait until March 17 to celebrate these simplistic dishes.

Pay homage to the centuries-old shepherd’s pie with a recipe twist. This beef pot pie recipe reimagines the Irish classic with a flaky crust and tender flat iron cut of steak.

And, with even fewer ingredients, you can whip up another Irish favorite with this homestyle corned beef and cabbage recipe.

The star ingredient in both of these dishes is beef. It’s easy to find high-quality beef in Virginia, which is home to about 675,000 beef cows on 23,000 farms. Beef can be incorporated into a healthy, balanced diet since a 3-ounce serving provides more than 10 essential nutrients, including protein, iron, zinc and vitamins B12 and B6.

St. Pat’s Beef Pot Pie

1½ pounds flat iron beef steak
8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
1½ cups frozen crinkle-cut carrots
1½ cups frozen peas
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 teaspoon minced garlic, divided
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 14.25-ounce can beef broth
1 refrigerated pie crust


Heat oven to 425°.

Cut flat iron beef steaks lengthwise in half, then crosswise into ¼ʺ thick strips.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add carrots, peas, 1 teaspoon thyme and ½ teaspoon garlic. Cook and stir an additional 3-4 minutes or until carrots and peas are defrosted. Remove from skillet; set aside.

In the same skillet, add half of the beef, cook and stir 112 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon; set aside. Repeat with remaining beef.

Dissolve cornstarch into the beef broth and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir about 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thickened and any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet are dissolved.

Return vegetables and beef to the pan; stir to combine.

Cook’s Tip: For a richer-flavored sauce, remove from the stovetop and add ¼ cup of Irish whiskey to the skillet. Return skillet to heat; add the beef broth mixture. Cook and stir about 1-2 minutes or until any browned bits are dissolved.

Place beef mixture in a 2ʺ deep, 9ʺ pie plate or similar sized round baking dish. Unroll pie crust on a flat surface, pressing out lines with fingers, if necessary. Place crust over the beef mixture, allowing the edges to drape over the pie plate.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and ½ teaspoon garlic evenly onto the top of the crust. Place pie plate on a 15½ -by-10 ½ -by-1ʺ jellyroll pan.

Bake 16-18 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven to a wire rack; let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Homestyle Corned Beef with Cabbage

2½ -3½ pound corned beef brisket
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 medium head of cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh dill


Heat oven to 350°.

In a Dutch oven, place corned beef and 2 cups of water. Bring just to a simmer; do not boil. Cover tightly, and bake for 2½ -3½ hours or until fork-tender.

About 20 minutes before the brisket is done, steam the cabbage 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Remove brisket from the water, and trim the fat. Place on a broiler pan so the surface of the beef is 3-4 inches from heat. Combine honey and 1 tablespoon mustard. Brush the top of the brisket with half of the glaze; broil 3 minutes. Brush with the remaining glaze; broil 2 minutes or until glazed.

Combine butter, 1 tablespoon mustard and dill, and spread on the hot cabbage. Carve brisket diagonally across the grain. Serve with cabbage.

Source: Recipes adapted from “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.”, Virginia Beef Council

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