VU Rooftop serving Irish classics this St. Patrick's Day

CHICAGO (WLS) -- This year you can celebrate St. Patrick's Day 22 stories high! VU Rooftop in the South Loop is serving up some classic Irish dishes with a twist.

Name of event: St. Patrick's Day Weekend at VU Rooftop Bar

Date: March 16 and March 17

Hours: 4pm to close

Address: 133 East Cermak, Chicago

For more information about VU Rooftop, visit https://www.vurooftop.com/

Name of dish: VU's Irish Lamb Sliders

Ingredients:

Makes about 24 sliders

2doz. Mini potato buns

1ea. Lamb Shoulder, boneless (5-7#)

8oz. Leeks, large dice

8oz. Carrots, peeled, large dice

8oz. Celery, large dice

6ea. Garlic cloves, smashed

1Tbs Kosher salt

1tsp black pepper, fresh ground

3ea. Bay leaves

3oz. Vegetable oil

2 pint SmithWicks Red Ale

Preparation:

Method:

• Preheat oven to 300 and set the leprechaun trap.
• Season the lamb shoulder with salt and pepper.
• In a shallow, large bottomed pot (with a lid), heat 2oz. vegetable oil over a med/high flame. Once the oil starts to smoke slightly, carefully add the lamb and begin to sear the meat, turning periodically as to evenly brown all sides.
• Once the lamb is evenly browned, pull from the pan and lower heat to medium. Add the leeks, carrots, celery and garlic. Begin to sweat gently.
• Once the vegetables are sweat and the leeks begin to become translucent, add the bay leaves and deglaze with 2 pints of ale.
• Bring ale and vegetables to a boil, lower to a simmer.
• Add the lamb back to the pan and continue to simmer.
• Cover the pot and place in oven for 1.5 hours or until the lamb is tender
• Remove the pot from the oven and leave lamb in stock at room temperature for 1hour.
• Remove the lamb from the stock (reserve the stock) and pull the meat into stands.
• Strain the cooking liquid and return to the pot along with the pulled lamb meat. Return the stock to a simmer and heat the pulled meat through.

Garlic Aioli

1/2 oz. garlic, fresh, chopped finely

2cup mayonnaise

2tsp garlic powder

2oz. lemon juice

• Add all ingredients together and whisk thoroughly.

Cabbage

1 head green cabbage

2 cup chicken broth

2oz. cider vinegar

1Tbs Kosher salt

Cut the green cabbage in eighths.

• Place in the pot with the chicken broth, vinegar and salt.
• Bring liquid to a simmer and cover the pot with a tight lid.
• Braise the cabbage for approximately 1 hour.

To assemble the sliders

• Lightly butter the potato buns on both sides. Toast the buns lightly golden
• Spread a small amount of the garlic aioli across the bun
• Add about 2oz. of braised lamb to each bun
• Add desired amount of cabbage
• Add the top bun (top of the bun to ya!)
• Eat, drink and be merry!