Houston Restaurants & Food

The secret to making a great corned beef is the cooking method. Chef Cory Garrison of X The Goose’s Acre Bistro & Irish Pub in The Woodlands and Brian O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub and Restaurant in Rice Village, recommends using a pressure cooker. He provides suggestions on using this method to the diva of dish and radio talk show host Cleverley Stone, and he makes a perfect corned beef, cabbage and potatoes for St. Patrick’s Day.

On Sunday, March 14, The Goose’s Acre Bistro & Irish Pub will host Hair for Charity Day. People are asked to donate their hair to a good cause since Pantene has partnered with American Cancer Society to ensure women with cancer can get wigs made of real hair free of charge, if needed. The hair donated must be 8 inches long. For more details, visit http://www.pantene.com/en-US/beautiful_lengths.jspx.

Drum up some sponsors and shave that head! Volunteers will shave their heads in solidarity with children fighting cancer. Proceeds benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for childhood cancer research. To volunteer to shave the head and drum up some sponsorship funds from friends and family please, interested people are asked to register with St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston, listen to Cleverley’s radio show on Saturdays at Noon on KIKK-CNN 650 AM. (By the way, she gives out free restaurant gift certificates on every radio show!)

Corned Beef, Cabbage & Red Potatoes
Source: Chef Cory Garrison of Brian O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub and Restaurant and The Goose’s Acre Bistro & Irish Pub

Serves 8

NOTE: This dish requires 7 days of advance preparation and a pressure cooker

Ingredients

• 1 pound Kosher Salt
• 2 gallons Water
• 8 pounds Beef Brisket
• 6 Bay Leaves
• 8 Black Peppercorns
• 1 Onion, quartered
• 1 Head of Cabbage, quartered
• 1 pound of Carrots, sliced
• 2 pounds of Red Potatoes, scrubbed & quartered

Directions

1. In a large stainless steel or cast iron pot, combine the salt, water and brisket.
2. Cover and let sit for 7 days in the refrigerator. (Note: brisket must be completely submerged,
   so double the salt and water if necessary.)
3. After 7 days, drain the brine (water) and add 1 gallon fresh water, bay leaves and peppercorns
   to a pressure cooker, tighten lid and cook on medium low heat for 1 hour.
4. Release steam from pressure cooker, remove lid and add all other ingredients.
5. Tighten lid on pressure cooker and return to medium low heat for 40 more minutes.
6. Remove and slice brisket against the grain and serve with the vegetables and some good rye bread and stout mustard.

Shepherd’s pie (originally known as cottage pie) is a meat and potatoes dish that dates back to the late 1700s. Chef Cory Garrison of Brian O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub and Restaurant in Rice Village and The Goose’s Acre Bistro & Irish Pub in The Woodlands shows the diva of dish and radio talk show host Cleverley Stone how to make this affordable and hearty dish.

On Saturday, March 13 at 10 a.m., Brian O’Neill’s will host the 2nd Annual Shamrock Shuffle 5K Fun Run . All proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Ronald McDonald himself will make an appearance in his shoe car and there will be music and additional activities for all ages.

For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston, listen to Cleverley’s radio show on Saturdays at Noon on KIKK-CNN 650 AM. (By the way, she gives out free restaurant gift certificates on every radio show!)

Shepherd’s Pie (with Ground Beef)
Source: Chef Cory Garrison of Brian O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub & The Goose’s Acre

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds Ground Beef
• 1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced
• 1/2 pound Carrots, peeled & diced
• 1 Garlic Clove, slivered
• Kosher Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dried Thyme
• 3/4 cup Flour
• 1 cup Guinness
• 1 Quart Veal Stock (can substitute with Beef Broth)
• 2 cups Chicken Stock
• 4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 Tomato, diced
• 1 cup Green Peas, frozen
• 1/2 bunch Parsley, fine chop

Directions

NOTE: Make sure to prepare this dish in a sufficiently large sauté pan.

1. Brown the ground beef in a pan. Stir to distribute heat and break apart meat. Cook until well browned.
2. Add diced onions, carrots and slivered garlic.
3. Stir to combine and season mixture to taste with salt & pepper and thyme.
4. Cook mixture, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent (approximately 10 minutes).
5. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir well to pick up fat, forming a roux. Make sure that all flour is moistened and that there are no lumps of flour.
6. Add the Guinness, veal stock (or beef broth) and chicken stock to pan, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan to free any browned bits and stir to incorporate the liquid into the roux.
7. Reduce heat to low.
8. Add the tomato paste and the diced tomatoes to the mixture. Stir mixture to combine all ingredients.
9. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for exactly 20 minutes.
10. Remove pan from heat, stir in the frozen peas and chopped parsley.
11. Cover with mashed potatoes and bake in oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo is known for innovative carnival food. Fried food king Chicken Charlie (Charlie Boghosian) invented fried items like: pickles, s’mores, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Oreo cookies, Twinkies, frog legs, White Castle cheeseburgers and more. Chicken Charlie shows restaurant journalist and diva of dish Cleverley Stone how he prepares his fried favorites including three different types of batter.

For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston, listen to Cleverley’s radio show on Saturdays at Noon on KIKK-CNN 650 AM. (By the way, she gives out free restaurant gift certificates on every radio show!)