Just because it's on the label doesn't mean it's in the can. So how did the "corn" get into corned beef?
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00:00Just because it's on the label doesn't mean it's in the can.
00:03So how did the corn get into corned beef?
00:06Whether it's canned or cooked fresh, corned beef can be prepared in a variety of ways.
00:10Some people prefer to eat corned beef alongside cabbage and potatoes for their
00:14St. Patrick's Day celebrations, while others enjoy having it between two
00:18slices of rye bread and topping it with mustard. Any way you slice it, you can't go wrong.
00:22If breakfast is more your thing, you can always have some corned beef hash alongside some eggs
00:27and toast. But have you ever noticed that corned beef doesn't really taste like traditional corn?
00:31Corn is, of course, grown for its edible kernels and is used to make a wide variety
00:35of products that you probably already have in your pantry. Cornmeal, corn starch, corn flakes,
00:40corn checks — these are just a few examples of the many different foods that contain corn
00:45as an ingredient. Even candy corn, one of the Halloween season's most divisive treats,
00:49gets its name from the corn syrup that is used to make it.
00:52You got your popcorn, caramel corn, candy corn.
00:56Stop torturing me!
00:58And then there's corned beef. Corned beef is a popular type of preserved meat that has been
01:02around for many years. It is made by curing and then pickling beef in a brine solution
01:07that often contains ingredients such as spices, garlic, and bay leaves. The meat,
01:11which is essentially a cut of beef brisket, typically becomes pink when it has been
01:15through this process and maintains a grayish-pink hue, even when it is fully cooked.
01:20Is corn a part of the process, though, as the name implies? Similar to foods like
01:23Rocky Mountain Oysters, Bombay Duck, and Ladyfingers, it turns out that names can be
01:28deceiving. Traditionally, corned beef was made by curing beef with large chunks of rock salt,
01:33or corns, of salt. This gave the beef that signature flavor and prevented it from spoilage
01:38before modern refrigeration techniques were available. Slabs of meat would be covered with
01:42salt and then packed tightly in barrels to cure while being stored for later consumption.
01:47So, does this old-school dish actually contain corn? No, canned corned beef does not contain
01:52corn. The raw cuts of packaged meat that you can cook fresh at home don't either. The beef brisket
01:57is simply corned in a brine containing pickling spices, which can include things like mustard
02:02seeds, bay leaves, coriander seeds, peppercorns, and thyme. There are, of course, recipes out there
02:08that do call for the addition of corn to corned beef. But these types of recipes are generally
02:13meant to be more of a creative twist on an otherwise classic dish. Whether you choose to
02:17use corn or not is really up to you. But if you're looking for that true corned beef flavor, it's best
02:22to stick with traditional methods rather than adding any additional ingredients. After all,
02:26it has a long history for a very good reason. The process of corning meat has been around
02:30for centuries and still remains an important and popular method of preserving food. Today,
02:35most commercial corned beef is made with a brine solution made with water, salt, and spices.
02:40The brisket is first trimmed of fat and then soaked in a brine solution for several days,
02:44tenderizing the meat and infusing it with flavor. After the curing process is complete,
02:49the corned beef is cooked until even more tender and then canned into the rectangular tins that
02:53line the shelves of the canned meat section of your local grocery store. Despite the misleading
02:58name of this popular dish, corned beef is still a delicious and satisfying option for any dinner or
03:03celebration. Whether you're enjoying it alongside cabbage or hash browns or packing it into a
03:07towering sandwich, corned beef is sure to satisfy your taste buds.