Stout and Ice Cream Float

This recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart.com

Martha Stewart Living, March 2008

This Saint Patrick's Day, enjoy a cocktail version of a root beer float: vanilla ice cream topped with Irish stout. With the ice cream sweetening the rich beer, the float is as much a dessert as it is a drink. Scoop ice cream into a pint glass, and pour in enough stout to fill it. One pint of ice cream and one 12-ounce bottle of beer will yield 2 servings.

Uncorned Beef and Cabbage

This recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart.com

Simple, homey, and hearty: The traditional Saint Patrick's Day meal is too delicious to enjoy just once a year. A new take on corned beef and cabbage has the familiar flavors but skips the lengthy brining process.

Ingredients 

For the Spice Paste:
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard

For the Brisket:
1 whole beef brisket (7 pounds)
1 1/4 cups beer
1 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges)
1 onion, sliced
3 beets, trimmed, washed well, peeled, and each cut into 8 wedges
1 head green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
2 carrots, cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces
Coarse salt

Directions

Make the spice paste: Pulse 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, the sugar, bay leaves, spices, garlic, vinegar, and mustard in a food processor.

Make the brisket: Rub spice paste all over brisket. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine beer and juice. Top brisket with onion, and surround with beets. Pour in 1 1/2 cups beer mixture. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, basting occasionally, until tender, 3 hours to 3 hours 15 minutes.

Once brisket has baked for 2 hours, place cabbage and carrots in a 2-quart baking dish. Top with remaining beer mixture. Season with salt. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, until tender, about 1 hour.

Slice brisket; return to liquid, and serve with vegetables.

Irish Beef and Stout Stew

This recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart.com

This comforting stew is made festive by a pop of green -- and a generous glug of stout. Make a double batch and freeze for a rainy spring day.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
• 2 1/2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed 2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 can (14.9 ounces) Irish stout beer
• 10 garlic cloves, sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 boxes (10 ounces each) frozen baby peas, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, toss beef with flour; stir in tomato paste. Add potatoes, onions, broth, beer, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Transfer pot to oven, and cook, covered, until meat is fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in peas, and season with salt and pepper.