The Tradition of St. Patrick’s Day: Corned Beef & Community

Since our first Butcher Boy location opened seventy years ago, we’ve been part of the cultural fabric of the Merrimack Valley and New England, especially when it comes to celebratory holidays like St. Patrick’s Day. Generations of area families have made the trip to our store for our traditional corned beef to enjoy in their corned beef and cabbage boiled dinner, both the red version and the equally delicious, traditional New England grey corned beef. What’s the difference you may ask? Both are brisket, but the curing process makes the difference. To this day, we are one of the very few butcher shops that prepare corned beef in-house, which you can cook at home or pick up as a ready-to-heat prepared meal.

We love celebrating America’s unique take on Ireland’s historic St. Patrick’s Day holiday. It was a band of rowdy Irish-born Redcoats that started our strong New England St. Patrick’s Day traditions in 1762 when they marched to a local tavern to enjoy a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast and some liquid refreshment. For us, the cities and towns of Merrimack Valley offer some great opportunities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day – including breakfasts, parades, special music, parties, and even cooking classes.

Did you know corned beef and cabbage is really an American dish? Irish immigrants here in America substituted more economical corned beef in their traditional bacon and cabbage recipes. Emerald Isle immigrants new to the USA were likely inspired by the offerings of their local Jewish delis, truly a melting pot story.

To make your own authentically New England St. Patrick’s Day feast, check out our simple “how to” recipe for corned beef boiled dinner. To accompany your meal, one of our longtime customers has shared her grandmother’s Irish Soda Bread recipe direct from County Kerry, Ireland.

And what St. Patrick’s Day celebration would be complete without a delicious dessert? Butcher Boy offers some delicious options including beautifully decorated Konditor Meister cakes. Is your mouth watering yet?

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