Bacon and cabbage facts for kids
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| Course | Main |
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| Place of origin | Ireland |
| Main ingredients | Bacon (green back or smoked) and cabbage |
| Variations | Corned beef and cabbage, pork ribs and cabbage, breast bones and cabbage |
Bacon and cabbage (Irish: bagún agus cabáiste) is a classic meal from Ireland. It's a simple, tasty dish made with slices of bacon cooked with cabbage and potatoes. Sometimes, the bacon is even smoked, which gives it a special flavor!
When it's ready, the bacon is sliced and served with some of the cooking liquid. Often, people also add a creamy white sauce. This sauce is made from flour, butter, and milk, and sometimes has parsley for extra taste. It's a warm and filling meal that many Irish families enjoy.
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What Kind of Bacon Is Used?
The type of bacon used for this meal can change based on what people like. Often, a cut called "shoulder butt" or "picnic shoulder" is used. But other parts of the bacon can be used too.
Almost all bacon used for this dish is "cured." Curing means treating the meat to keep it fresh and add flavor. In the past, bacon was cured by storing it in salt for a long time. Today, a quick way to cure bacon is by using a salty water mix called brine. Sometimes, this brine is even injected into the meat to make the process faster.
Some people like their bacon smoked. This adds a deep, smoky taste that makes the dish even more delicious. In Ireland, you can also find "home-cured" or "hard-cured" bacon. This bacon is cured for a very long time and then stored, making it very salty, firm, and yellowish.
A Look Back: History of the Dish
Historically, bacon and cabbage was a very common meal in Irish homes. This was because the ingredients were easy to get. Many families grew their own vegetables, like cabbage, and raised their own pigs for bacon.
People thought of it as a nourishing and satisfying meal. It filled you up and gave you energy. Even today, bacon and cabbage is still a very popular meal across Ireland.
Family Meals: Dishes Like Bacon and Cabbage
This simple Irish meal has inspired similar dishes in other parts of the world, especially where Irish people moved and settled.
Corned Beef and Cabbage in the USA
In the mid-to-late 1800s, many Irish people moved to the United States. There, they started using corned beef instead of bacon for this dish. This is how "corned beef and cabbage" was created!
Like the original Irish meal, this American version often includes other vegetables like carrots and potatoes. This makes it a bit like the New England boiled dinner, which also has boiled meat, cabbage, and root vegetables.
Corned beef and cabbage is still a popular food in some parts of the United States. It's especially famous as a dish eaten on St. Patrick's Day.
Jiggs Dinner in Newfoundland and Labrador
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On the island of Newfoundland in Canada, many early settlers came from Ireland and England. They created a boiled dinner similar to bacon and cabbage, but using salted beef. This meal is called Jiggs dinner.
