Traditional Irish Bacon, Cabbage, and Parsley Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of bacon and cabbage in Ireland? ›

The roots of Bacon and Cabbage trace back centuries, reflecting the simplicity and resourcefulness of the Irish people. Historically, pork was a staple meat due to the abundance of pigs in Ireland. Cabbage, a hardy and readily available vegetable, complemented the savory flavors of bacon.

Boiling bacon is a side of pork that is traditionally cured, netted and partially smoked the Irish way. Our boiling bacon is produced from Linley Valley free range pork shoulders, a leaner cut compared to pork belly.

Irish bacon is traditionally made from the back of the pig as opposed to the pork belly commonly used in American bacon. In this sense it is more similar to Canadian bacon; both Canadian and Irish bacon are referred to as back bacon but the Irish variety has more fat and often cut into a round shape.

Bacon and cabbage (Irish: bagún agus cabáiste) is a dish traditionally associated with Ireland.

Since this meal is typically only eaten on St. Patrick's Day, most of us assume it is a traditional Irish dish. But guess what lads and lassies: Corned beef and cabbage did not originate from Ireland — and the meal isn't actually Irish at all. Corned beef is a cut of meat similar to brisket that has been salt-cured.

Cabbage has long been a staple in Irish cooking, owing to its hardiness and abundance in the Irish climate. In fact, historically, Irish peasants relied heavily on cabbage as a dietary staple due to its affordability and nutritional value.

IMPORTANT WORD YOU SHOULD LEARN: Rashers. That's Irish slang for bacon. You'll find back (wide) or streaky (narrow) rashers in an Irish breakfast; both types may look and taste different to what you might expect. Irish bacon is chunkier than American bacon, with a little more meat.

Sicilian bacon! The sicilian bacon is a niche product. The raw materials used for the production of bacon consist of fresh meat from pigs of selected breeds, which ensure the high quality of bacon.

An alternative to Back Bacon, the Belfast Bacon is cut from our Smoked Gammons that are cured to a traditional recipe originating in Belfast. The Belfast Bacon can be fried or grilled but traditionally would normally be fried.

American bacon is cut from the belly of the pig. In the UK we call this “streaky” bacon.

What do Canadians call American bacon? ›

The term "Canadian bacon" is not used in Canada, where the product is generally known simply as "back bacon" while "bacon" alone refers to the same streaky pork belly bacon as in the United States.

Buckboard Bacon

This variety is also known as “cottage bacon.” Though cured and smoked like regular bacon, it's made from pork shoulder, a cut also known as pork butt or Boston butt. The resulting bacon is meatier than bacon made from pork belly.

Spuds. We can't talk about Irish slang without mentioning potatoes! “Spuds” is another word for potatoes.

The Irish for banana is 'banana' - not to be confused with 'bánánach', a supernatural beast who haunts battlefields.

(In Ulster in Northern Ireland the breakfast is also known as an "Ulster fry.") All full Irish breakfasts include some or all of the following: Bacon, sausages, baked beans, eggs, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and perhaps some cooked leftover potatoes made into a hash or a bubble and squeak.

Vegetables grown and eaten in Ireland included onions, chives, cabbage, celery, wild garlic and leeks. Fat-hen (Chenopodium album) is often found on pre Norman archaeological sites and appears to have been an important part of the diet, as it still is in Northern India.

The full Irish breakfast was created for farm workers so they would be satiated and ready for a full day's work. The meal was made up of local produce and homemade items, all of which were cooked in a frying pan with a pad of Irish butter.

During the late 1700s, when the wave of Irish immigrants arrived on America's shore, they brought their own food traditions, and corned beef and cabbage was not one of them. "Actually, what (the Irish) made was boiled ham and potatoes," said Paula Fitzpatrick, owner of Fitzpatrick's Irish Store, Stroudsburg.