Beer Pairing: Crumbled Corn Beef & Sweet Potato Tart With Irish Red Ale

This tart is what happens when comfort food stops trying to be subtle and goes all-in. Crumbled corned beef brings a salty, cured depth, while leeks bring that soft, sweet onion element that makes everything taste warmer. Sweet potato slips in with a mellow sweetness that doesn’t go overboard, just rounding the edges. Throw in the cheese, and now this dish is virtually guaranteed to enter the clean-plate club.

You could pair this dish with a lot of beers, sure. But if you want a pairing that brings this meal full circle, the best choice is an Irish Red Ale.

Irish red is the sweet spot between “malt-forward” and “still crushable.” It has enough caramel and toast to match the crust and sweet potato, enough bitterness to keep the dairy from overpowering the dish, and enough carbonation to make each bite feel like the first. You’re matching baked, salty, creamy comfort with toasted, caramel malt and a clean finish.

Keep reading for a complete pairing guide, as well as Judith McLoughlin’s recipe for the dish from her new cookbook, A Return to Ireland: A Culinary Journey.

Why Irish Red Ale?

Matching malt with sweet potato
Sweet potato in a tart isn’t candy sweet. It’s softer, earthier, and more autumnal. An Irish red’s caramel-to-biscuit malt hits that exact same lane. The pairing tastes cohesive, like the beer is a part of the filling.

Bitterness keeps the cheese in check
Sharp cheddar and Parmesan are not shy. An Irish red brings gentle bitterness that cuts through cheesy richness without turning the pairing sharp or metallic. It refreshes you without overpowering the cheese.

Carbonation does the cleanup
Egg, cream, butter, cheese: you’re gonna need a palate reset button. The carbonation in an Irish red gives you that reset while still keeping the vibe cozy.

Three widely available reds to use

Smithwick’s Irish Red Ale
The benchmark. Toasty, lightly caramel, and smooth. It stays balanced even when your forkful is heavy on beef and cheese.

Killian’s Irish Red
Not a strict Irish red in the traditional sense, but it’s widely available and pairing-friendly. The malt sweetness plays well with sweet potato, and it won’t overwhelm the tart.

Conway’s Irish Ale (Great Lakes Brewing Company)
A true Irish-style red ale with a toasty, caramel malt core and a dry, balanced finish. Conway’s brings enough sweetness to echo the crust and sweet potato, enough bitterness to keep the cheese from clinging, and a classic pub-drinkability that makes it an easy win at the table.

Making the most out of your pairing

Serve it at the right temperature
If your red ale is ice-cold, you’re muting the malt that’s supposed to highlight the crust and sweet potato.
Aim for cool, not cold. Pull it from the fridge, wait 5–10 minutes, then pour.

Pour it into a glass
Yes, even for a “casual” meal. The aroma matters here. Toasted malt and light caramel are part of the bridge. The glass gives you the full effect.

Build a “perfect bite” on purpose
Do this once, and you’ll get why the pairing works:

• Forkful with cheddar + beef → sip (the beer cuts and resets)
• Forkful with more sweet potato + leek → sip (the malt echoes and deepens)

You’re basically toggling between contrast and complement without changing beers.

Add mustard to the mix
A tiny swipe of whole-grain mustard on the side makes the corned beef pop and makes the red ale’s malt taste deeper. It’s a small move that reads like you planned the whole night.

Add some greens on the side
If you’ve got it, add a simple bitter greens side (arugula, endive, or even a quick vinaigrette salad). Greens add snap, and the Irish red keeps everything grounded.

Judith McLoughlin’s Recipe for Crumbled Corn Beef & Sweet Potato Tart:

Serves 4

Pastry Ingredients

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter (chilled)
• 2–4 tablespoons ice cold water

Filling Ingredients

• 7 ounces corn beef (crumbled into small pieces)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium leeks (white parts and some green)
• 4 large eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 sweet potato (cooked and mashed)
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. To make the pastry, combine flour and salt in a medium size bowl or food processor. Use a pastry fork or processor to cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough is moist enough to hold together to form a ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a circle about 11-inches in diameter for a 9-inch pie plate or fluted tart pan. Trim off any excess pastry and prick the bottom of the dough with a fork.
4. To blind bake the pastry, line with a double layer of foil and bake for 10 minutes to prevent browning. Remove foil and bake pastry for a few more minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack and leave oven on.
5. To make filling, in a large skillet add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the leeks for 3–4 minutes or until soft and fragrant and remove from heat.
6. In a food processor or mixing bowl combine eggs, cream, mashed sweet potato, salt and pepper.
7. To assemble the quiche, layer the corn beef and leek and the cheeses and then pour the egg mixture on top.
8. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until the egg sets and is firm to the touch. Allow the quiche to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe credit: Judith McLoughlin’s forthcoming cookbook, A Return to Ireland: A Culinary Journey.

Judith McLoughlin is an Irish chef and owner of a gourmet food business in Georgia called The Shamrock and Peach. Specializing in Irish cuisine, Judith has created her own unique food fusion by blending the techniques of her homeland with the newfound flavors of the South. Growing up in County Armagh in Northern Ireland and setting down roots in the South, over the past decade Judith has become one of the most recognized Irish faces and brands in Atlanta, throughout the American South and abroad. She regularly contributes to food columns in national newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic and leads numerous discovery tours from the U.S. to Ireland each year. Before A Return to Ireland, she had a cookbook entitled The Shamrock and Peach.

Feature Image Credit: Gary McLoughlin