If you are lucky enough to have St Patrick’s Day this Monday off work, why not take the opportunity to create a memorable meal to share with your nearest and dearest, celebrating some of the finest local Northern Irish ingredients.
When I entertain at home, I often skip the starters and focus on serving a substantial main course with all the trimmings, followed by a delightful dessert and a selection of cheeses.
These two main courses are real crowd-pleasers - a rich, hearty pie inspired by my days in London with a distinctively Irish twist using Ireland’s most beloved stout and made with locally sourced beef and oysters, and a beautifully roasted pork loin, perfectly paired with seasonal cabbage.
The best part is that both dishes can be prepared well in advance, allowing you to relax and enjoy the company of your guests. Finish off the meal with a simple yet satisfying dessert, and you have the perfect menu for a warm, celebratory gathering.
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Beef and Oyster Pie
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
· 1kg mixed braising steak from a good quality butcher, skin off and deboned
· 12 oysters, shucked and cleaned, strain the juice
· 1 litre beef stock
· 350ml Guinness
· 300-350g puff pastry
· 150g smoked bacon
· 25g butter
· 2 celery sticks, peeled and chopped
· 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
· 1 leek, peeled and chopped
· 1 onion peeled and chopped
· 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
· 1 garlic clove, chopped
· 1 bay leaf
· 1 tbsp picked thyme
· 3 tbsp plain flour
· 1 egg
· Salt and pepper
Method
· In a bowl, combine the meat with Guinness, garlic, thyme, and a bay leaf. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight.
· Once marinated, drain the marinade and set it aside. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan until hot. Lightly dust the meat with flour, season, and fry until browned. Remove from the pan.
· Heat butter in the same pan and fry the bacon and onion until soft. Add the celery, leek, and remaining flour, stirring for one minute.
· Pour in the reserved marinade and stock, then bring to a boil. Add the browned meat and simmer for two hours, or until the meat is tender.
· Remove the oyster shells and strain the juice to remove any grit. Add both the oysters and their juice to the sauce, cooking until the sauce thickens and the meat is braised.
· Once cooled, transfer the mixture to a pie dish, discarding the bay leaf.
Pork Loin and Cabbage
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
· 1.5kg, deboned loin
· 500ml chicken stock
· 100g butter
· 2 cloves garlic
· ½ lemon
· 1 bunch thyme
· 1 spring cabbage
· 1 white onion
· Rapeseed oil
· 3 bay leaves
Method
· Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the pork on a roasting tray, season with salt and pepper, squeeze the juice of a lemon over the skin, and roast for 75 minutes.
· Remove from the oven, sprinkle with some thyme while hot, cover, and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
· Dice the onions and cook in a hot pan with half the butter, stirring gently without browning. Add the rest of the thyme and cook until soft.
· Remove the outer leaves, wash, and cut the cabbage into eighths. Heat a splash of rapeseed oil in another pan, add the cabbage, and cook on a gentle heat until lightly coloured.
· Turn the cabbage over, add the cooked onions, stock, garlic, and bay leaves. Simmer until the cabbage is tender, then stir in the remaining butter.
· Slice two pork chops per person, serve with the cooked cabbage, and spoon over some of the onion and stock mixture.
