Facts About Jiggs dinner
New England boiled dinner is the basis of a traditional New England meal, consisting of corned beef with cabbage and other vegetables often including potatoes, rutabagas, parsnips, carrots, turnips, and beets. The leftovers are traditionally diced and fried into red flannel hash for breakfast the next day A similar Newfoundland dish is called a Jiggs Dinner and was once part of English cuisine, such as the well known Boiled Beef and Carrots of working class London.
Corned beef and cabbage, a boiled meal prepared by Irish-Americans on St. Patrick's Day, is similar, but does not contain beets. Irish immigrants who arrived in America in the 19th century substituted corned beef in the Irish dish bacon and cabbage. Corned beef, which most Irish could not afford in Ireland, was relatively cheap in American cities at the time, and Irish immigrants quickly adopted this one-time luxury. Boiled with cabbage, it made a filling meal.
Preparation
Corned beef is placed whole in a pot on stove or in a crock pot with water to cover the meat. The meat is cooked several hours until tender, then cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables are added and cooked. Rutabagas or turnips are also common ingredients. When New England boiled dinners includes beets, they are often cooked and served separately to avoid discoloring the dinner.
Common condiments include horseradish, mustard, and cider vinegar.
United States