A St. Patty’s Day Fusion Feast
Since becoming parents to three very active little bees, Ben’s and my St. Patty’s Day celebrations have taken quite a different turn. We’re lucky if we even get a chance to acknowledge this favorite holiday of college students everywhere, let alone celebrate it. Since this is the first year in a while that I haven’t been pregnant (but also the day before a surgery I was about to have), a celebration was in order but we couldn’t go crazy with meal prep or alcohol consumption. Since neither one of us was feeling the traditional corned beef or boring baked potato, we decided to make a fusion meal that was Irish-inspired with ingredients like whiskey and potatoes, but very much a grown up version that two “sophisticated” (read “homebody”) parents could enjoy on a Thursday night. Scroll down for all three recipes
There’s nothing more Irish than meat and potatoes but I wanted ribs and Ben wanted a potato dish we haven’t had before. Enter my Bourbon Ribs to save the day. These slow cooker delights come together quickly with a commonly found pre-made BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Rays) and a few extra ingredients like Jack Daniels whiskey (lots of Jack) and Lawry’s seasoning salt. Cook all day in a crock pot, then finish under the broiler for a melt-off-the-bone meal that has hints of Irish goodness, but is sure to satisfy no matter what holiday.
Crispy potatoes involve a little extra work but are well worth the effort. I like to find mini golds or a petite medley (red, purple, and yellow potatoes). Boil whole until tender, then season, gently smash and bake in the oven until crispy. Top with cheese, chives, and sour cream, and you’ll have your whole family of leprechauns handing over their gold to get their hands on this side dish.
Lastly, what says St. Patty’s day like a good, old fashioned margarita?…. Said no one ever! (Except me. I think margaritas are perfect for any occasion.) If you’re anything like me and a tequila libation is what you’re craving on this most Irish of holidays, you’re in luck! Not only is this cocktail a brilliant emerald green that will make you say Erin go Bragh, but it incorporates whiskey with just enough flair to make this Mexican drink perfectly acceptable every March 17th.. or 18th, or June 22nd, or December 7th, or October 1st… you get the picture.
Bourbon Crock Pot Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 racks baby back ribs
- 18 oz Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce- Hickory and Brown Sugar or Original flavor (about one standard sized bottle)
- 1 cup Jack Daniels whiskey
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBSP paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 TBSP seasoned salt, such as Lawry's, divided
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Remove the membrane (if any) from slab of ribs. (If you're buying from the butcher's counter, you can always ask them to do this for you.) Season slab with one tablespoon of seasoned salt. Set aside.
- Quarter the onion an break apart into large pieces. Then place onion pieces along the bottom of your slow cooker in a single layer. Using the flat edge of a knife, gently press down on your garlic cloves to create a "pancake" like piece. This will keep the garlic clove whole, but allow the delicious flavor to seep out easier while cooking. Put garlic cloves on top of onions.
- Mix together your dry seasonings: paprika, two tablespoons brown sugar, one tablespoon seasoned salt, and black pepper. (You won't be using the smoked paprika until the very end.)
- Mix together your wet ingredients: BBQ sauce, whiskey, and apple cider vinegar. Reserve ½ cup for later.
- Cut slab into individual ribs. Place ribs on tops of onions in slow cooker.
- Sprinkle with dry ingredients, then pour over wet sauce. Gentle stir to combine.
- Turn slow cooker on and cook for 8-10 hours on low, or 5-6 hours on high.
- Once done cooking, preheat broiler to 450 degrees.
- Carefully remove ribs from crock pot and place in a 9×13 oven safe dish. (Depending upon the size and number of slabs of ribs you used, you might need two dishes.) Careful pulling the ribs out of the pot as they are very tender and the meat will just fall of the bones. Make sure you pull out any meat that may have cooked off the ribs, but no need to include the onions or garlic cloves.
- Mix your reserved ½ cup of sauce, ¼ cup of cooking liquid from the crock pot, and smoked paprika together. Pour over ribs until thoroughly coated.
- Cook for 10 minutes under the broiler until sauce slightly caramelizes.
- Serve immediately.
Smashed Irish Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 lb small yellow and/or red potatoes
- 1 TBSP seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
- cooking spray such as Pam
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 TBSP chives, diced
- sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Add whole potatoes to a pot of lightly salted water and bring to a boil.
- Boil until easily pierced with a knife, about 15-20 minutes, depending upon the size and firmness of your potatoes. Drain and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Grease a baking tray with cooking spray such as Pam.
- Taking a large fork or metal spatula, gently push potatoes down into a rough pancake shape about ½ inch tall. Place smashed potatoes in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoned salt, such as Lawry's and black pepper to taste.
- Bake in the oven until crispy for 25-30 minutes. Once done baking and crispy, sprinkle shredded cheese over the potatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes more until cheese is melted.
- Garnish with chives. Serve with sour cream on the side.
Whiskey Margaritas
Ingredients
- 4 oz golden or reposado tequila
- 2 oz peach schnapps
- 2 oz blue curacao
- 2 oz whiskey, such as Jack Daniels
- 1 oz lime juice
- 8 oz peach nectar or peach juice
- 2 cups ice
Instructions
- If you want a frozen margarita, put your ice in a blender and blend until it reaches the consistency you want (it should look like snow).
- Add all ingredients, except ice, to a blender. Pulse until well mixed and bright green in color. Adjust for taste as needed by adding more juice or alcohol. (Hey, no judgement here!)
- Serve in a rocks glass/whiskey tumbler either over the shaved ice or ice cubes. Enjoy responsibly!
Notes
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