Skirts and kidneys facts for kids
A typical dish of Skirts and Kidneys from Cork
|
|
| Type | Stew |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Ireland |
| Main ingredients | Pork, pork Kidneys |
Skirts and Kidneys (in Irish, íochtar an chliatháin agus duáin) is a traditional Irish stew. It's made from two main ingredients: pork meat and pork kidneys. This hearty dish has been enjoyed in Ireland for a long time, especially in the city of Cork.
Contents
A Taste of History: Cork's Food Story
The city of Cork, located on the southern coast of Ireland, has a long history connected to animal products. From the 1600s to the late 1800s, Cork was a major supplier of butter, salted beef, and salted pork. These products were sent to the British Empire, especially to feed soldiers.
Because of this big meat industry, there was always a lot of "offal" available. Offal refers to the parts of an animal that are not usually thought of as main meat cuts, like organs or trimmings. These parts were much cheaper, so local people, especially those who didn't have much money, could afford them.
A whole style of cooking developed in Cork based on these pig offal parts. Some examples of these traditional Cork dishes include:
- Crubeens (or cruibín): These are pigs' trotters (feet).
- Pigs' tails: Just what they sound like!
- Drisheen: A type of boiled blood sausage, often served with tripe (part of a cow's stomach).
- Bodice: This dish uses plain or salted pig ribs. It could be cooked as a simple white stew or as a salted bacon dish with cabbage and turnip.
In Cork, the word "offal" sometimes specifically meant pig's backbone. However, this part of the pig is no longer used today for safety reasons.
What's in the Dish?
The main meat ingredients for Skirts and Kidneys are "skirts" and "kidneys." You can usually buy these at a pork butcher's shop.
- Skirts: These are thin pieces of meat trimmed from around the pig's diaphragm. Even though they are thin, they are quite tender. They come with a tough white layer that needs to be removed before cooking.
- Kidneys: Pig kidneys need to be washed very carefully with lots of fresh water. This makes sure all traces of urine are completely cleaned away before they are cooked.
How to Make Skirts and Kidneys
Skirts and Kidneys is a simple white stew made with just a few ingredients:
- Skirts (pork meat)
- Kidneys (pork kidneys)
- Onions
- Thyme
- Salt
- White pepper
- Water
- Potatoes
All these ingredients are placed into a large saucepan with boiling water. The stew is then slowly simmered for about two hours. This long, slow cooking makes the meat very tender.
At the end of cooking, if the stew isn't thick enough, a little cornflour (also called cornstarch) can be added. It's mixed with a little water first to make a smooth liquid, then stirred into the stew to thicken it.
A Different Way to Cook It
There's a slightly different version of this dish made in Waterford, another city in Ireland. In the Waterford style, the onion is diced (cut into very small pieces). They also don't use thyme or salt. Instead, they add a generous amount of white pepper for flavor.
Skirts and Kidneys is often served with crusty white bread. The bread is perfect for soaking up all the delicious juices from the stew.
