If there is one dish that best defines Irish cuisine it is Bacon & Cabbage. Contrary to what others may claim, Ireland does not have a national dish but, if the country were to choose one, it would most likely be Bacon & Cabbage (not Irish Stew which may actually be more popular outside of Ireland and not Colcannon which is rarely eaten in most of the country and, indeed, many would not be familiar with it at all). Bacon & Cabbage is the ultimate comfort food, easy to prepare, nostalgic, comforting, hearty and nourishing all at once.

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A 2015 study by the Irish food board, Bord Bìa, found that “64% of Irish adults consider Bacon & Cabbage the meal most synonymous with Ireland“; 54% intended to enjoy this meal on or around St. Patrick’s Day (the feast of the celebration of Ireland’s patron saint); and that some 30% of those surveyed crave this classic dish when overseas. It is telling that derivatives of this simple boiled meal are commonplace amongst Irish diaspora communities, often substituting beef for pork (see Jiggs Dinner, Boiled Dinner and Corned Beef and Cabbage).

This wholesome favourite is still regularly consumed at households across the country and, similarly, is widely available at many pubs, dining rooms and traditional restaurants across the country including notable offerings at: Boxty House; The Brazen Head; O’Neill’s; Winding Stair; and The Stag’s Head.

The popularity of the dish remains despite the country’s collective shuddering at the memory of dreary, mushy, over-boiled and flavourless monstrosities served in school canteens, or, if you were very unlucky, at home. Poorly made versions of this classic recipe have left a watery stain on the reputation of Irish cuisine. However, cooked well, this is a simple but deeply flavoured, melt in your mouth dinner served with a rich, creamy, buttery sauce that the whole family can enjoy and which will banish memories of the scummy, soggy boiled depression of the past forever!!

Pork has, historically, been an important staple in Ireland and was the most widely consumed meat in the country. It was often remarked by ancient historians and travelling chroniclers that Ireland maintained a surprisingly high population of pig and boar herds, freely roaming the landscape. The noted surveyor, Arthur Young, who undertook a tour of Ireland between 1776-1779 as part of an inquiry into the country’s state of agriculture, observed that “sheep are kept in very small numbers” and that “hogs are kept in such numbers that the little towns and villages swarm with them“. His findings echoing that of Giraldus of Wales who wrote in his work, Topographia Hibernica, that “in no part of the world are such vast herds of boars and wild pigs to be found“.

Before refrigeration technology, pork was easy to preserve and cure giving it a long lifespan post-slaughter. Most homesteads, in addition to growing root crops and cabbage, maintained a number of pigs whilst beef and lamb remained scarce, reserved primarily to the clergy and nobility. This accounts for the widespread popularity of bacon in Irish cooking. In later years, pork too would become scarce in supply as meat and vegetables produced in Ireland were exported overseas by the British or commandeered to feed soldiers and colonists across the British Empire, culminating in a great famine in Ireland between 1845 and 1849. The profound impact of this dark chapter in Irish history arguably influences the national psyche to this day and has given a much greater significance and reverence to humble, traditional meat and veg dishes, meals that many were deprived of during that period.

A bacon and cabbage dish (see Ribbe and Christmas Cabbage) is also popular in Norway, particularly at Christmas time, consisting of pork ribs and a fermented white cabbage spiced with caraway seeds. It is not clear to what extent these dishes may have influenced one another, if at all, but, given the historical presence of Norse vikings in Ireland, it is possible that the influence may have travelled one way or another. Pigs did not constitute as significant a food product in Scandinavia during the Viking era or Middle Ages and pork may have been exclusively enjoyed at Christmas only. Norwegians experienced their own great famine (along with much of Fennoscandia and the Baltic region) between 1645-1647 and dishes such as Ribbe and Christmas Cabbage are regarded with similar veneration.

For added flavour, consider adding cloves or spices to either the bacon, cabbage or both. You might also like to boil the bacon in beer, cider or your preferred soft drink, for a sweet, delicious festive take on this iconic supper.

Traditional Bacon & Cabbage, the Irish way, is prepared using salt-cured or smoked back bacon boiled in water alongside a selection of root vegetables. Once the meat is cooked the trick is to reserve some of the water that it was cooked in which will then be used to boil the cabbage ensuring a deep, meaty flavour. The dish is often then eaten as is or served with boiled/mashed potatoes and a thick, tasty white sauce (essentially a simple Béchamel sauce with the occasional addition of fresh chopped parsley or mustard). You can serve with well-seasoned, boiled root vegetables too.

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