St. Patrick's Day Dinner

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These are Bernadette's favorites for honoring St. Patrick's Day. Two of the dishes rely on Irish whiskey to both enhance and celebrate St. Patrick. The other two dishes are reliable standards for doing what Bernadette knows works best: Diversity in your menu makes the main course go further. Bernadette's menu for this day features Irish Whiskey Pork Tenderloin with Great Aunt Libby's Potatoes and Callaghan's Green Beans. For dessert, we have a delicious Irish Whiskey Pecan Pie with just enough liquor in it to put a smile on your face. Let's get started!

1. Irish Whiskey Pork Tenderloin

This dish involves a savory marinade punctuated by the inclusion of Irish whiskey. You will need to marinate the tenderloin for at least three hours to infuse the meat with flavor. Preferably, allow the meat the marinate for at least 24 hours.

What you need for this dish:

  • 2.5-3 pound pork tenderloin
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1.5 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1.5 teaspoon grated garlic
  • 5 tablespoons Irish whiskey (Bernadette prefers Jameson for its smooth flavor)
  • Six strips of peppered bacon, three reserved whole and three sliced into bite-size pieces
  • Half of a large head of green cabbage, cut into quarters

Here is how you make it:
  • Make the marinade first by combining the olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, and whiskey in a medium bowl. Whisk these ingredients together until smooth and the majority of the brown sugar has dissolved.
  • Place the tenderloin in a bowl or a resealable plastic sack.
  • Now pour the marinade over the tenderloin, coating it completely.
  • Refrigerate the tenderloin and marinade as directed.
To cook the tenderloin:
  • Set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Place the tenderloin and marinade in a roasting dish.
  • Lay the three strips of bacon across the top of the tenderloin like an asterisk.
  • Cover with tin foil and place in the oven on the middle rack. Your cooking time will vary depending on your oven, but we recommend checking the tenderloin in 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, cut the cabbage into quarters and slice the remaining three strips of bacon into bite-sized pieces.
  • At the 30 minute mark, remove and uncover the tenderloin. Check your meat temperature with a meat thermometer. Your target temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit, but you probably will need another 15-20 minutes to get there at this point.
  • Now place the cabbage quarters around the tenderloin in the roasting dish, spooning some of the marinade in the roasting dish on top. Scatter the diced bacon pieces on top of the cabbage. Recover with the tin foil and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes.
  • Once the meat reaches the final temperature, remove the tin foil from the roasting dish. Turn off the oven and return the dish to the oven for 5 minutes to brown the bacon a bit.
  • Remove from the roasting dish, slice the pork and serve with cabbage, bacon, and potatoes.

2. Great Aunt Libby's Potatoes

Bernadette's Great Aunt Libby's best friend was through-and-through Irish and spent every summer in Ireland with her extended family. This is an old family recipe that she gave to Great Aunt Libby and we are sharing it with you.

What you need for this dish:
  • 3-4 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-size 1" cubes
  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
  • 3 cups of half-and-half
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter, sliced into 8 squares
  • Salt and pepper
  • Fresh chives, chopped

Here is how you make it:
  • Place the diced potatoes in a medium pot.
  • Pour in 1 cup of heavy whipping cream.
  • Now pour in 3 cups of the half-and-half. You need at least enough to just barely cover the potatoes, so adjust your amount accordingly.

  • Now put the butter slices on top and add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 tablespoon of pepper.
  • Place on stove over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and then reduce to low, allowing the liquid to just simmer slightly. DO NOT BOIL!
  • Stir intermittently with a rubber spatula to avoid breaking up the potatoes as they soften.
  • As the potatoes cook, they will absorb the milk and butter and soften as the remaining milk thickens. Stir to avoid burning, tasting and adding salt and pepper as desired.
  • This dish is complete when the sauce has thickened to your preference and the potatoes are done. Serve with scattering of fresh chopped chives on top.
  • These potatoes are highly-addictive, but please don't blame Bernadette if you want to make this dish all the time. 

Callaghan's Green Beans (This is an additional side dish or an optional side dish for your guests who may not like cabbage.)

What you need for this dish:
  • 1.5-2 pounds FRESH (preferably organic) green beans that snap when you bend them--if the green beans are not fresh and tasty, do not attempt this dish
  • 0.5 pound of peppered bacon, sliced into bite-size pieces
  • Half a stick of unsalted butter
  • Salt and pepper

Here is how you make it:

  • Bernadette does not like strings or ends on her green beans, so she snaps and strings her beans first, breaking them in half. But you may do as you wish.
  • Place the green beans and bacon in a large pot.
  • Add water, covering the beans completely.
  • Cook over medium heat until tender.
  • Now add the butter and the salt and pepper to taste to finish this dish.
Irish Whiskey Pecan Pie

What you need for this dish:
  • 1 9" pie crust, baked and cooled
  • 2 cups of pecan halves
  • 4 large eggs, beaten and at room temperature
  • 1 cup of light corn syrup
  • 2/3 cup of light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon of molasses but NOT blackstrap
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 7-8 tablespoons of Irish whiskey, depending on what proof you want your pie
  • Whipped cream

Here is how you make it:
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Toast the pecan halves on the stove in a cast iron skillet for 8-10 minutes or until fragrant. DO NOT ALLOW TO BURN!
  • Whisk the eggs and brown sugar together in a large bowl to dissolve the sugar.
  • Add the corn syrup, molasses, vanilla, and salt and whisk until smooth.
  • Now add the whiskey and whisk once more.
  • Slowly whisk in melted butter.
  • Now fold in the pecan halves.
  • Pour this mix into the cooled pie crust.
  • Place the pie in the oven on the middle rack, covering the edge with a pie collar or tin foil to avoid burning.
  • Bake until the edges of the filling are set and the center of the pie is a little wobbly to touch, approximately 40-50 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK THIS PIE OR IT WILL BE TOO DRY AND FIRM.
  • Once done, remove to a wire rack and allow to cool for 3 hours.
  • Decorate with whipped cream and serve! We did our best for a four-leaf clover on ours, but we're not sure the luck of the Irish was with us on that one.
  • If you're not into whiskey in your dessert, this pie is JUST as excellent without the whiskey and great for any occasion.
This is a fun meal to enjoy for the St. Patrick's Day holiday, and a menu that is not too challenging to prepare. You can use this pork marinade and the pie recipe without the whiskey as well for any time of the year and still have a delicious meal because Bernadette knows best! 


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