Your Guide to Backyard Festivities

We get it. It’s late winter on Long Island, and your backyard’s looking about as clean as the LIRR during a mid-March snow storm. But St. Patrick’s Day is here, and you’re thinking about dusting off that patio furniture and having a couple of friends, or as we say in Massapequa, paesanos. Here’s our totally unofficial guide to celebrating SPD in true Long Island Genstar style!

Patio Prep 101: The Bare Minimum Edition

Let’s be real – who has time for power washing when there’s corned beef to be smoked? Just sweep it or use your leaf blower nice and early in the morning to blow away dust and loose debris, and call it a day.

(We don’t want to get salesy here, but if you’re looking at your patio thinking “This needs more than a sweep,” give us a call at 516-902-0869 or shoot us a note. We do full patio openings, and we promise not to judge you for that pile of leaves you’ve been ignoring since November or last year’s Christmas tree stuck in the bushes.)

The Corned Beef Chronicles: Pellet Smoker Edition

For those of you lucky enough to have an outdoor kitchen (and if you don’t, hint hint, we build some amazing ones – check out our portfolio at https://www.genstarmasonry.com/portfolio/), here’s your foolproof recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 corned beef brisket (we like the flat cut, and get about a pound a person, since corned beef shrinks a lot when you cook it, and you want leftovers for hash and eggs the next 12 mornings)
• Your favorite mustard
• Classic corned beef seasoning packet
• Determination to prove you can smoke meat in March

Instructions:

1. Set smoker to 250°F
2. Use cherry or hickory pellets (trust us on this)
3. Smoke for about 6 hours until internal temp hits 203°F (Not 204°. Not 202°. 203°. Capish?)
4. Rest for 30 minutes (perfect time for a Guinness)

Our own Mike Gentile suggests topping it with marinara sauce and cherry peppers, like an Arrabiata, but between us, some traditions are better left to Sunday sauce at Nonna’s.

Outdoor Entertainment Essentials

• Blankets (because March on Long Island is basically still winter)
• Chairs (the good ones, not those $5 beach chairs from 2018)
• S’mores supplies (or as Mike suggests, pizza supplies – more on that later)
• A proper fire pit (we build these too, just saying)
• Mike’s additions: Bocce balls and cigars (because what’s a St. Patrick’s Day party without a little Italian flair?)

Beverage Pairings

Sure, you could go traditional with:

• Guinness
• Smithwick’s
• Murphy’s

But our resident Italian, Mike, insists we mention an Italian Chianti and Bordelino, but if you must stick with beer try:

• Peroni
• Moretti
• Menabrea (fancy, right?)

Traditional Irish Yard Games

Hurling

Hurling? In your Long Island backyard? Unless you want to explain to your insurance company why there’s a sliotar-shaped hole in your neighbor’s Tesla, maybe stick to the Irish classic, Ring Toss.

Road Bowling

In this traditional Irish game, players throw a heavy ball (a “bowl”) down a country road, aiming for the fewest throws to reach a target. Mike’s Suggestion: “Sounds a lot like Bocce, but on Merrick Road. Why not just play Bocce on the driveway instead? Or better yet, roll a meatball down the patio and see who can get it closest to the garlic knot.”

The Great Gold Hunt

Traditional Irish folklore speaks of hiding chocolate gold coins around the yard for kids to find. No kids? Our suggestion (courtesy of Mike): “Forget the chocolate and hide tiny bottles of limoncello for the adults instead.” Because nothing says St. Patrick’s Day quite like Italian digestif!

Fireside Entertainment

While singing “Danny Boy” around your fire pit (built by yours truly, naturally), consider burning some traditional Irish peat for that authentic touch. It adds an extra depth of flavor to your s’mores – or should we say O’Mores!

Mike’s take: “You can burn peat if you want, but let’s be honest, a proper brick pizza oven will give you warmth and a snack. Who needs marshmallows when you can toast some fresh focaccia?”

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day the traditional Irish way or the Long Island way (which apparently involves a lot of Italian influence – we can’t help it!), the key is having the right outdoor space to entertain. And if your backyard needs a bit of that GenStar magic, give us a call at 516-902-0869. We might not be able to help you perfect your corned beef recipe, but we can definitely build you a spectacular outdoor kitchen to experiment in!

#GenstarMasonry #LongIsland #StPatricksDay #OutdoorLiving #PatioLife