With or Without Mustard?

An ongoing friendly disagreement between Bradley and I has been whether or not corned beef and cabbage is eaten with mustard or not. During our first year together, Bradley asked me if I like corned beef because he was planning to make some on St. Patrick's Day. I excitedly responded that I thought corned beef and cabbage with spicy mustard was delicious!

He and his family were appalled and informed me that corned beef was not eaten with mustard. I tried to convince them otherwise. I actually hated mustard while growing up. I only started to appreciate the flavor in my adult life, but I still believed that corned beef and spicy mustard go together. Bradley did end up trying it with mustard, but still felt it was more traditional without.

When we started planning our first full year of travel, we knew we wanted to visit Ireland. Now that we have traveled all the way around the Emerald Isle, it is still hard to put into words exactly how stunning landscapes looked in every direction - or how friendly the people are, and how the culture just beckons you to visit again and again. So, when it finally came time to fly out to Ireland, we planned on finding out whether the Irish ate their corned beef with mustard or not - so that we could settle our disagreement.

Featured

Bacon & Cabbage from the Creamery Bar, Bunratty, Ireland

Corned Beef or Bacon?

One of our first nights in Ireland, we went to Johnnie Fox's pub, "the highest pub in Ireland" (and next to St. Patrick's Church). They had homemade breads, seafood chowder, and "traditional bacon and cabbage." Bacon? Maybe the bacon in this area is similar to corned beef? We decided to give it a try. The bacon served in the dish is more like ham slices with a bit more salt. The meal was delicious and the gravy/sauce it comes with is addicting. But where was the corned beef??

When we got back to our Airbnb, we asked our host's son if corned beef or bacon was more traditional. He said bacon is definitely more traditional as he'd only tried corned beef a couple of times in his life and had never seen it on a menu.

Well, a quick online search helped us find this history about corned beef. Basically what was originally called “corned beef” in the 1600s changed in the mid-1800s after the Great Famine and immigration of Irish to America. The corned beef currently enjoyed throughout the US is thanks to the Irish immigrants who settled next to Jewish communities and bought their meats from kosher butchers. WHAT? Did you know that corned beef and cabbage was an Irish-American tradition?

No Corned Beef & Cabbage on the Menu!

Since Ireland doesn't serve corned beef and cabbage, we couldn't find out if it was traditionally served with mustard or not. But the traditional bacon and cabbage we had was not served with mustard. What about you? Do you eat your corned beef with or without mustard? Let us know in the comments!

See the Bacon & Cabbage recipes below.

Featured

Traditional Irish Bacon & Cabbage, Johnnie Fox’s Pub, Glencullen, CO. Dublin, Ireland

Bacon & Cabbage Recipes

If you find yourself suddenly curious, you can check out:

this Irish Cabbage and Bacon recipe from A Tasty Perspective. It still rates 5.0 out of 5.0!!
or this Fried Cabbage with Bacon, Onion, and Garlic - which has had over 1,100 reviews and still comes in near the very top.

OR you can try the fantastic recipe below - let us know what you think!

Either way, you’ll get to taste a more traditionally Irish dish than corned beef and cabbage. Unless, of course, you’d prefer not to expand your culture beyond your Irish-American tradition!

Traditional Irish Bacon & Cabbage with Champ & Irish Parsley Sauce

Ingredients:

For Bacon & Cabbage:

2 lbs of Ham or Pork Loin (a.k.a. Irish Boiling Bacon), OR Vegan Ham
1 Cabbage (or as little as half a Cabbage if you prefer)
2 Tbsp of Butter - OR Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
For Irish Parsley Sauce
2 Tbsp of Butter - OR Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
1⁄4 Cup Flour
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
White Pepper
1 1⁄4 Milk OR Milk Alternative
2 Ounces of Finely Chopped Parsley
(optional: egg yolk & 2 dashes of hot sauce)
For Irish Champ (Mashed Potatoes)
Potatoes (Preferred Variety: Golden Wonders, Home Guard, Queens, Kerr’s Pink, or Rooster’s. If not available, use: Estima, King Edward, Maris Piper, or Desiree. Yukon Gold or Russett are also acceptable)
Scallions
1 1⁄4 Milk OR Milk Alternative
5 Tbsp of Butter - OR Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
A few extra pats of Butter

Directions:

Boiled Bacon & Cabbage:

Place Pork Loin in a large pot and submerge in water. On medium-high heat, bring to a boil. If your Pork Loin creates a white froth on the surface of the water, pour out the water, add fresh water, and repeat the process. Cover and simmer (medium heat) for 60 minutes.
Core and quarter the Cabbage while you wait for the Pork Loin to cook. Slice further into thin shreds (across the grain). Add to the pot with the Pork Loin and continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes longer. When cooked, remove the Pork Loin and slice into thick cuts.
Strain the Cabbage, then add the Butter, season with a dash or two of Ground Black Pepper and Salt. Mix well and serve.
Irish Parsley Sauce:
Over a Low Heat - Melt 2 Tbsp of Butter (do not burn), then add the flour, a pinch of Salt, a pinch of White Pepper, and a Pinch of Freshly Ground Black Pepper. Mix continuously, while cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Add about 1⁄4 cup of the milk to the mixture and stir well. When fully combined, add another 1⁄4 cup of milk. Repeat until all milk has been added. Cook, and continuously stir, the sauce over a medium-low heat for an additional 5 minutes.
Taste. Add an additional pinch of White Pepper or Salt if desired. (For a thicker sauce: Mix an egg yolk with a dash or two of hot sauce and introduce to the mixture at the end. Cook and stir for a couple more minutes for a thicker sauce). Add the parsley and serve.
Irish Potato Champ:
Steam or Boil potatoes until fully cooked. Then, press them through a ricer into a bowl. If you do not have a ricer, use a potato masher until very finely mashed.
Over a medium-low heat, combine the milk and scallions in a saucepan and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the mixture to the potatoes with the Butter. Whip until fully combined.
Add Salt to taste and serve with a pat of butter.

Combine all 3 onto a single dish and serve (see photo of “Traditional Irish Bacon & Cabbage” above for serving suggestion). Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Are you planning to take a vacation or holiday in Ireland? It was one of the most amazing trips that we have ever been on and we highly recommend it! We would recommend spending a week or two to see as much as you possibly can - as well as giving yourself the opportunity to try plenty of Bacon and Cabbage!

Irish Music & Dance Shows in Dublin

Here are some of the best Irish Music & Dance Show locations near Dublin, Ireland:

The Merry Ploughboy

This one tops our list of the best music & dance shows - with amazing traditional Irish meals - near Dublin. It is a little closer to Dublin than Johnnie Fox’s Pub, and for this reason it is almost always completely booked up. However, the good news is that it is included with the Irish Explorer 7-day Tour, that we very highly recommend. Honestly, why haven’t you checked it out yet? It’s very affordable! Alternatively, the Dublin Pass has special offers and discounts at the Merry Ploughboy Irish Music Pub as well.

Johnnie Fox’s Pub

This place not only has an amazing music & dance show (called the “Hooley Show”), but they also have quality traditional Irish meals at a reasonable price. It’s just south of Dublin. We enjoyed a night here - along with the traditional Bacon & Cabbage - after the recommendation from our Local Airbnb Hosts. You can also grab an Express Round-Trip Bus to this Pub from many Dublin locations.

If you’re looking for other adventures in Ireland, we recommend checking out the Highlights of Ireland deluxe tour, or these budget friendly tours that include Bunratty Castle.

Featured

Thank you VERY much for reading our article. We actually created this website to help people reach financial independence. Did you know that by having a remote job and traveling endlessly, or living in a country that has low costs of living, you can actually reach retirement quicker? Plus, retirement abroad is up to 75 percent cheaper as well! Learn more by exploring our website: EatWanderExplore and REmotiFIRE.

See our Thank You page to sign up for our free weekly newsletter - you’ll receive only 1 email per week letting you know about our latest travel articles, remote-work life, and amazingly affordable destinations!

Found this post useful? Buy us a coffee to help support this site’s running costs OR share this article with a friend.