PITTSBURGH — Everybody's a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day, right?

How else to explain the hundreds of thousands of Pittsburghers who turn out each year for the annual St. Patrick's Day parade down Grant Street in Downtown, and continue celebrating at bars, restaurants, parties and dinners?

If you're the designated cook on March 17, corned beef and cabbage might come to mind as the perfect dish — even though the tasty marriage of meat and humble vegetable isn't traditionally Irish.

Before immigrating to the U.S., Irish cooks made the rich and hearty entree with bacon because there were so many pigs in Ireland. When they arrived in New York in the 19th century, however, they discovered the pork products they loved back home — especially bacon — were too expensive for everyday cooking. So they substituted much-cheaper brisket, which was popular among working-class Americans of all ethnicities.

By the mid-20th century, the reimagined dish had become inextricably associated with Irish American culture, often appearing in recipe columns and on restaurant menus as St. Patrick's Day rolled around.

While "real" corned beef and cabbage takes a long time and some effort to prepare — the meat has to simmer for hours — this sandwich, which mirrors many of its flavors, does not. In fact, it takes less than 10 minutes to pull together if you don't count the time it takes to bake the bread (which only takes about an hour and can be done hours or even days beforehand).

This open-faced, knife-and-fork sammie combines shaved corned beef from your grocery store deli with a simple cabbage slaw and homemade Thousand Island dressing. A slice of Swiss cheese goes on top.

It's the homemade brown bread that really makes this sandwich holiday worthy. Found in almost every home on the island, it's a true Irish staple. Leftovers can be served at an afternoon tea with jam, or toasted and buttered for breakfast.

Sláinte! (That's health in Gaelic)

Open-faced Reuben on Brown Bread

For bread

2 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

Pinch salt

2/3 cup rolled (old-fashioned) oats, plus more for sprinkling

2 extra-large eggs

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, plus more for the pan

2 tablespoons molasses, optional

2 cups buttermilk

For Thousand Island dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons ketchup

3 tablespoons chopped dill pickle or dill pickle relish

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For sandwich

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 medium head green cabbage, cored and sliced thin

1 pound sliced corned beef

8 slices baby Swiss cheese

Make bread: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and lightly oil a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.

Toss flours, baking soda, salt and oats in a large bowl and mix well.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs with oil. If a sweeter, darker bread is desired, add 2 tablespoons molasses. (I split the difference with 1 tablespoon.) Gently stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Then, gently stir in buttermilk. It may be sticky.

Turn the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a wet spoon. Sprinkle some oats across the top, if desired, and bake for 1 hour.

After 1 hour has elapsed, remove the bread from the pan. If a crustier loaf is desired, transfer it to a baking sheet, return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes more.

Allow the loaf to cool on a wire rack before serving. (It will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare dressing by adding mayonnaise, ketchup, dill pickle, onion and mustard to a bowl and giving it a good whisk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Build sandwiches: Cut 8 1/2 -inch slices of bread, place on a cookie sheet and bake in a hot oven until toasty, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove from oven and slather toasted bread with Thousand Island dressing.

Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in small bowl. Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl and pour the dressing over it; toss to coat the cabbage.

Divide corned beef on top of bread slices. Top each with generous pile of cabbage mixture and 1 slice of Swiss cheese.

Bake sandwiches for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melted. (You also can cook under the broiler until cheese is melted.) Remove to a plate and serve warm.

Serves 4-8, depending on appetite.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette