IPA Corned Beef and Cabbage Quesadilla

St. Patrick’s Day is upon us, friends. Many of you start drinking and celebrating a month in advance. I don’t get SUPER into the holiday, I’ll admit it. But I do love cooking for it. It’s such a great opportunity to pull out new ingredients and flavors that you don’t usually take the chance to cook with.

Last year, I gave you a grilled cheese sandwich and a regional favorite around here, Irish Potatoes (not actual potatoes, but a delicious cream cheese and coconut dessert). This year, I give you the IPA Corned Beef and Cabbage Quesadilla. I cooked a corned beef brisket in a slow cooker full of IPA for the most succulent and flavorful corned beef you can imagine, then covered it in two kinds of cheese in a crispy flour tortilla and served it up with a sour cream and whole grain mustard dipping sauce. There is no better way to celebrate this holiday than with this dish and a nice crisp beer. Whether you go with an IPA to compliment the flavor profile of the beef or an Irish Red to feel the love of the holiday, you’ll be full, happy and intoxicated in no time.

Editor’s Note: This recipe ran on March 12, 2014 on DrinkingCraft.com.

IPA Corned Beef & Cabbage Quesadilla
4 lb corned beef brisket
1 head cabbage, cut into wedges
24 oz IPA
4 cups water (or more)
Irish cheddar
fontina
tortillas
sour cream
whole grain Dijon mustard
olive oil

Place your corned beef brisket in a slow cooker, fatty side-up. Plop your cabbage wedges on top of it. Pour your IPA over it. Add enough water to cover the rest or go almost to to the top of the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours.

When your house smells great and the meat is tender and juicy, it’s time to remove it from the crock pot. Place it on a large platter or bowl and let cool a bit.

In the meantime, start assembling your ingredients for the quesadillas. Place a large skillet on a medium-low burner with a little drizzle of olive oil.

Lay out a tortilla. Cover it with shredded Irish cheddar. Break away small pieces of the corned beef and cabbage and place a light layer on top of the cheddar. Top with a layer of shredded fontina, followed by another tortilla.

Place the uncooked quesadilla in the preheated skillet. Cook 3-5 minutes per side. Cheese will be nice and melty and the tortilla will be crispy and start to brown.

While it’s cooking, mix together equal parts whole grain Dijon mustard and sour cream.

Remove quesadilla to a cutting board and, using a pizza cutter, cut into wedges.

Serve alongside your dipping sauce, some tortilla chips and a big ole glass of beer.