COLUMBIA CITY - Come Saint Patrick's Day, we're all a bit Irish, for everyone can enjoy good food, company and cheer on these blustery days. As for the food, look to Irish soda bread and corned beef and cabbage to complete this day of music and laughter.
Soda bread stems from Ireland's climate and dairy culture. The cool, wet weather encourages barley and oats in the north and west of Ireland. Soft wheat is grown in the east and south where conditions are less harsh. Breads made from these grains typically employ baking soda, rather than yeast as the leavening. Historically, yeast breads were the province of the wealthy and of the monasteries. Still, soda bread is found on every Irish table and is cherished at afternoon tea.
Soda breads rise when acid is introduced into the dough. This is achieved by adding buttermilk, a kitchen staple in a country rich in dairy herds. The tangy buttermilk imparts a rich moistness to this humble but beloved product.
White flour, whole wheat or a combination of the two form the base, and some soda bread recipes include oats. There are probably as many versions of soda bread as there are fairies dancing on the head of a pin. Typically, dried currants add sweetness and caraway seeds their sharp flavor.
Traditionally, a home's hearth and deep cast iron pots with lids were used to bake soda bread. Dough was placed into a covered pot and set onto a hot fireplace stone. Hot coals placed on the lid baked from the top while periodic rotation ensured even baking all around.
IRISH SODA BREAD
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1-cup quick cooking oats, uncooked
1/4-cup sugar
1-tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1-teaspoon baking soda
Combine all above ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir until evenly blended.
6 tablespoons butter at room temperature (1 stick minus two tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups golden raisins (sultanas) or dried currants
2 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet generously with butter.
Cut butter into dry ingredients (above) using two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in fruit and seeds.
Add buttermilk; stir with a fork until dough is just moistened and sticky. Gather into a ball and place upon a lightly floured work surface. Gently knead about 10 times. Form dough into a ball; place onto sheet.
Using a sharp knife cut a large x in the top of the dough; bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center emerges clean. Remove and cool on a wire rack. From The Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook, Hearst Books, New York, 1997.
SOUTH END IRISH FARE
Stepping into Bob's Quality Meats in the heart of Columbia City recently, I received a friendly greeting from owner Jim Ackley. Glad to be out of the steady drizzle I was charmed by this tidy shop replete with old-fashioned meat hooks hanging from the wall and black-and-white photos from years past.
The aroma of freshly-ground spices filled the air, and my eyes fixed upon a large refrigerated meat case laden with fresh sausages, steaks, chops, house-cured bacon, oxtail segments arranged in circular fashion and plates of ribs. As customers entered it became clear that this place is a neighborhood institution.
"We're a fourth generation family business," Ackley told me, adding that the shop had been opened by his grandfather. "Bob was my father's name. I kept the name when I bought this business from my parents. My son is the fourth generation," he said, chuckling. "Right now, however, he's taking a hiatus into restauranting," adding that he was certain his son would return.
The Ackleys prepare corned beef for St. Patrick's Day on the premises. Using their own spice blend they cure the beef themselves. Ackley stated that since their product doesn't employ any chemicals it has to be made not long prior to cooking.
"Our meats are all natural," Ackley stated, adding that his grandfather had believed in fresh meat products with no chemicals or hormones. "We've always prepared our meats this way."
Corned is a term describing meat cured with large grains of salt, thought to resemble corn kernels. Salt draws water from the meat and any microorganisms also present. This method was used to preserve meats before the advent of refrigeration, and with the spices render a unique flavor.
Beef brisket is the preferred cut for corned beef. The brisket is the portion just above the ribs on the chest of the animal. One end of the brisket contains some fat layers alternating with meat while the thicker portion of brisket can be stringy. Corned beef is best cooked braised, that is, cooked in liquid until tender. Salt from curing must be removed as well. Cooking in water that has been changed once or twice does this.
CORNED BEEF DINNER
2 pound corned beef brisket
3 onions, quartered
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 potatoes, quartered
3 carrots, scraped
2 turnips, peeled and cubes
1 head green cabbage, cut into 6 segments
Place beef into a large, heavy pot (or Dutch oven) with enough water to cover. Add onions and garlic.
Heat water to a boil; immediately reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours until beef is fork tender. Skim fat broth. Add potatoes, carrots and turnips and cook for 15-20 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add cabbage and cook another 10 minutes. Remove meat and slice. Makes six servings. Dish up with vegetables. From Betty Crocker's New Cookbook, MacMillan, New York, 1996.
Beacon Hill writer Georgia Lord Wantanabe may be reached via editor@sdistrictjournal.com.
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