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Home > About Us > Media Article Library > Celebrate tradition with lamb for St. Patrick’s Day
Published on March 14, 2018
By Bonnie Brost, licensed and registered dietitian at Essentia Health.
St. Patrick’s Day brings out green beer, shamrocks, corned beef and cabbage in the United States. This year, why not serve a traditional Irish meal featuring lamb?
Corned beef is an Irish-American creation. Immigrants found beef more available and less expensive than in their homeland. The British invented the term corned beef in the 17th century to describe the size of the salt crystals used to cure the meat. They were the size of corn kernels.
Corned beef is a processed meat that is very high in sodium. Three ounces has more than 1,000 milligrams of sodium. The American Heart Association encourages us to limit our sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams per day, with only 1,500 milligrams as ideal.
Lamb is a red meat that is not widely consumed in the United States. Americans eat less than one pound of it a year. Three ounces of lamb has only 50 milligrams of sodium.
Around 80,000 small farmers in the United States raise lamb and sheep. Sheep are usually grass fed, which results in a higher level of omega 3 fatty acids that are known to be very beneficial for the health of our hearts and brains. These healthy fats also reduce inflammation. Lamb is also a great source of lean protein, vitamin B12, iron, zinc and selenium.
Lamb has a unique flavor. If you’d like, use a mix of lamb and lean beef round steak or lean ground beef in these recipes. Try an Irish Stew, Irish Shepherd’s Pie or Cabbage Hot Dish for a heart-healthy holiday meal. If lamb does not make it to your table for St. Patrick’s Day, consider it instead of ham for Easter in two weeks.
Irish Stew
Remove meat from lamb bone, cut into 1-inch cubes. Set bone aside. Brown all sides of beef and lamb cubes in oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat, stirring beef and lamb occasionally. Add lamb bone, onion and next five ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add carrots, potatoes, and tarragon. Cover and simmer 30-90 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves and lamb bone. Combine 2 tablespoons flour and water until mixture is smooth. Slowly add flour mixture to stew, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
Cut phyllo dough into shapes with a 5-inch shamrock cookie cutter. Place pastry shamrocks on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Spoon stew into individual bowls; top each with shamrock puff pastry.
*You can substitute 1-1/2 pounds trimmed boneless beef eye of round roast, cut into 1-inch cubes for lamb.
Nutrition facts (calculated using lamb)
Servings: 8; serving size, 1 cup; calories, 245; total fat, 10 grams; saturated fat, 5 grams; cholesterol, 60 milligrams; sodium, 100 milligrams; potassium, 570 milligrams; carbohydrates, 20 grams; fiber, 2 grams; protein, 18 grams
Irish Shepherd’s Pie
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place oil in large skillet. Add carrots and onions. Sauté about 2 minutes. Add meat, pepper and tarragon. Add in peas, tomato paste wine, and Worcestershire sauce.
Mix cornstarch with unsalted beef stock. Add stock to meat mixture. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Place meat mixture in 9-by-13-inch pan. Spoon on the mashed potatoes and spread evenly. Brush the top of the potatoes with the beaten egg. Bake 20-30 minutes, until nicely browned on top.
Servings: 8; serving size, about 1 cup; calories, 285; total fat, 9 grams; saturated fat. 3 grams; cholesterol, 60 milligrams; sodium, 170 milligrams; potassium, 650 milligrams; fiber, 4 grams; protein, 17 grams.
Cabbage Hot Dish
This recipe gives you a lot of vegetables that are flavored with lean meat. The antioxidants of the cabbage really pack this recipe with health. It’s a great alternative to corned beef and cabbage.
Add olive oil to large skillet over medium heat. Add ground meat and brown. Add onions, carrots and garlic. Cook until vegetables are starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add cabbage, ginger, salt, pepper and hot pepper. Cook until cabbage is soft, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts (calculated using lamb)Servings; 6; serving size, 2 cups; calories, 215; total fat, 12 grams; saturated fat, 4 grams; cholesterol, 60 milligrams; sodium, 185 milligrams; potassium, 475 milligrams; carbohydrates, 11 grams; fiber, 3 grams; protein, 17 grams.
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