By PAUL SIDORIAK
With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I could not help but think of a way to celebrate the vibrancy of the holiday, but from a griller’s perspective. When I think of St. Patrick’s Day meals, boiled dinner is what comes to mind. For as long as I can remember, boiled corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage have always been the mainstay. Corned beef is about one of the easiest things to make, and St. Patrick’s Day is my annual excuse to do so.
This year for St. Patrick’s Day, I won’t be taking any culinary leaps of faith, but maybe the grilling equivalent of a trust fall. I plan to represent the colors of the flag of Ireland on a shillelagh and make St. Patrick’s Day kebabs. Going with marinated sirloin cubes is by no means peasant food, but it shouldn’t dampen any holiday spirits either.
To me, seeing the green of the broccoli, the white of the onion, and the orange glow against the pepper better represents the flag of Ireland than brisket and potatoes boiling away in a pot. Not to mention that the kebabs get a blue ribbon at the St. Patrick’s Day parade grandstand of good smells! The smell of the grilling kebabs are a hands-down winner in a grudge match against a boiling pot of cabbage.
I find that using fire bricks as a raised holder for the kebabs is a great way to let all the items roast evenly and gives you a little more control on your desired doneness over having them sit directly on the grill grate.
Even using the fire bricks as a raised method of cooking, the grill grate will always be there if you are after a little extra color or char before plating.
Don’t forget to let the meat rest for a few minutes before you commence the dinner festivities. I find that often when a kebab is done perfectly, it just effortlessly falls off of the skewer when you point it at a plate.
Regardless of what you have on the menu for St. Patrick’s Day, it’s less about what you put on the plate and more about whom you break bread with and share such special occasions. However you choose to celebrate, I wish you a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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Check out Paul’s other tasty grilling recipes for summer (or any season!) in his blog archive.
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Paul moved to Montana in 1996 with about a dozen friends from Lyndon State College in Vermont. He is still reluctantly paying his student loans and has carved out a career working as a supplier representative for various food and beverage products.
Paul enjoys grilling after a day on the water or an afternoon in the garden, where he has been known to grow heirloom tomatoes and peppers out of spite. Often cooking for extended family and friends, he takes a whimsical approach to cooking simple, seasonal dishes, while not taking it too seriously.
You can read more of Paul’s grilling recipes at his blog site, Grilling Montana.