Let me start by pointing out that corned beef and cabbage is not a traditional Irish dish, it is a traditional Irish-American dish. In Ireland, you would be much more likely to see boiled bacon and cabbage.

You might not think of Ireland as one of the capitals of barbecue. Think again. Ireland hosts the European version of the World Barbecue Championship and you'll find real barbecue sauce served up here with loads of dishes.

Pastrami is a smoked corned beef. If you buy corned beef you can make your own pastrami any afternoon. Of course, you can make your own Homemade Corned Beef if you have 3 weeks to let it cure.

St. Patrick's Day is often an excuse to drink green beer, eat corned beef and cabbage, and embrace a stereotype that has little to do with the people and the place that this holiday is really meant to commemorate. The truth is that Corned Beef and Cabbage isn't a very Irish dish. It is American. And the green beer thing? That is just a way to pass off cheap and bad beer as palatable. While my recipes in this collection aren't any more authentic, they have the virtue of being delicious and well worth the holiday, so fire up the grill, heat up the smoker, and make something great this St. Patrick's Day.