There are many ways to give beef a unique flavor, taste, and color by cooking it in different styles or recipes; you have tried and heard of many exquisite ingredients to make a mouth-watering and juicy piece of meat, but generally, when it comes to beef the lesser ingredients results in developing the best taste.

Corned beef is also one of the types where you use fewer ingredients to get the unique taste; it usually keeps the beef in raw form. It is mostly associated with St Patrick's Day due to its history with Irish American people when they first came to the US, but you can also find it in sandwiches at a Jewish deli on normal days.

But there is more to corned beef than its history; most people are unfamiliar with this term and don't know what it is. We will help you understand what corned beef is, its history or associated events, what makes it unique, and how to make it.

Understanding Corned Beef

What Exactly Is Corned Beef?

The corned beef is a meat that is marinated or cured with salt. The salt is present in a solution form, and corned beef is one of the oldest forms to preserve the meat for extended periods. Back when there was no refrigeration, meat was preserved through a curing process involving the solution.

In the US, corned beef is obtained from beef brisket, then cured with a salt solution; you can find it in most Jewish Delis. The reason is a kosher cut of the briskets, which are then cured to tenderize it further.

History And Association With St Patrick's Day

The history of St Patrick's Day was directly linked to the early Irish Americans; after they immigrated to the US, they transformed the religious activities associated with St Patrick's Day to celebrate their heritage and homeland. On this special occasion, they spend extraordinarily on the feast with Corned Beef with their traditional potatoes and cabbage to honor their celebration.

In the early days, Irish Americans mostly lived in Jewish neighborhoods, and kosher butchers were their go-to place to buy meat; now, you can get corned beef from almost every supermarket, available in vacuum-sealed pieces. Abraham Lincoln also chose Corned Beef, potatoes, and cabbage for his Inaugural Luncheon meal.

Fun fact: Although Corned Beef has much popular since the first Irish Immigrants to the US, you may not find it across the Atlantic, and if you are in Ireland on St Patrick's Day, you may end up ordering a lamb or bacon instead.

What Part Of The Cow Is Corned Beef, And How To Make It?

Corned beef is made from briskets; it involves the curing process of meat in a salt solution that can take up to five –to eight days. If you are preparing it at home, take a single piece of beef brisket, put it in a large pot of saltwater (some people also some spices for extra flavors) place it in a fridge for a week.

At the commercial level, Delis usually takes large quantities of beef briskets and puts them in a walk-in cooler with a saltwater solution. Traditionally, corned beef is made with beef cured in saltwater, but you can also add other spices, garlic, and herbs. All these are used to give extra flavors and more taste to it.

Today's corned Beef recipes include spices like bay leaf, mustard seed, black peppercorn, coriander, dried red pepper, and garlic. If you have noticed, all these ingredients or spices are also called pickling spices and are used in pickles. These spices are included because they often make pickles in the same place, and your favorite corned beef sandwich is also served with the pickles.

The Pink Color of Corned Beef

You may have noticed that when you buy corned beef, it is mostly Pink due to the companies' addition of a salt nitrite blend called pink curing salt during the brining process. It also prevents the meat from spoiling during the curing process and keeps it intact. The pink salt looks the same as your normal table salt.

The term "corns" in corned beef are the large, coarse salt pellets used in the curing process; they not only help but also prevent or absorb moisture from the meat and eliminate bacteria and their growth.

Is corned beef healthy or not, as it involves an unusual way of cooking? The answer is yes, it's healthy, and you can consume it, but consuming it in large quantities is not advisable as it has high cholesterol, sodium, and fats, which are harmful to many.

Cooking Corned Beef

Corned beef is made from Beef Briskets, which are naturally tough to cook; therefore, you need to braise it and cook it at a low temperature with moisture to keep its tenderness. It's also the key to keep your corned beef juicy and tender.

The braising can be done in different ways; you can cook it in the pressure cooker, oven, or stove, add water and a bunch of pickling, or bring spices that we discussed above. Usually, it takes 2-3 hours for a 3-pound corned beef brisket. Check it by piercing a fork or knife through the meat, keep it tender, and stop cooking before falling apart.

Corned Beef Recipes

The cooking process of the corned beef remains the same in all the recipes, but different add-ons are added alongside the corned beef to make your meal more healthy, juicy, and delicious.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

It is one of the classic recipes and super easy to make. First, cook the corned beef and add some vegetables and cabbage in the same solution with spice; dish it out, cut it into slices, and serve it with vegetables. You can also add potatoes along with the cabbage, eat it right away, or use it in making sandwiches.

Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs

Corned beef hash is famous for using leftover corned beef; it usually involves all the ingredients, including corned beef hash and vegetables. Fry them in the pan until tender and warm, and add poached eggs over the top to enhance the flavors.

Cider Braised Corned Beef with Rutabaga

You can use hard cider and a bit of Irish whiskey as a braising solution in this recipe; the rest of the cooking process remains the same. Similarly, other vegetables are replaced by rutabagas to give you a unique combination for satisfying your taste buds.

Final Thoughts

Corned beef is made using one of the oldest methods of meat preservation. It comprises beef brisket soaked in salt water solution for a few days and then cooked at slow flames or temperature in a braising liquid consisting of different spices, water, and salt.

Once it is cooked, it can be served with different vegetables, bread, and other combinations. It is delicious, juicy, and tender, perfect for celebrating St Patrick's Day or enjoying a sandwich on a regular day.