Corned Beef

Name: Corned beef — beef, usually brisket, cured in a salty brine with spices, and then boiled or steamed until tender, with a pink colour and a salty, savoury, slightly spiced flavour. The “corn” refers to the large grains (corns) of salt used in curing.

Description

Corned beef has been made for centuries as a way to preserve beef, and the English and Irish exported it widely. In the United States, Irish immigrants adopted corned beef and cabbage as a substitute for the Irish bacon they could not afford, and it became a St Patrick's Day tradition. Jewish delis in New York made corned beef from brisket, the basis of the classic corned beef sandwich on rye.

The meat is cured in a brine of salt, sugar, pickling spices and curing salt (sodium nitrite), which gives it its pink colour and characteristic flavour. Canned corned beef, made from different cuts, is also widely eaten in South America, the Philippines and Africa. A page under Processed Meat covers canned corned beef.

Main nutrition value

Beef is a rich source of high-quality protein, highly absorbable haem iron, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium and niacin, with the amount of fat varying by cut. Corned beef is also high in salt and in nitrite from the cure.

How best to be consumed

Corned beef is cooked until tender, and eaten sliced or hashed.

1. Rinse, then simmer gently in water for 2.5 to 3.5 hours, with onion, bay and peppercorns, until fork-tender.
2. Serve sliced with cabbage, potatoes and mustard, or in sandwiches on rye with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese.
3. Fry diced corned beef with potato and onion for hash.
4. Slice across the grain, and rest briefly.
5. Soak or boil in fresh water, if it is too salty.

Overconsumption could cause…

Corned beef is a cured meat, and best occasional.

1. Higher risk of bowel cancer and other conditions with regular intake of processed meat, which the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies as carcinogenic to humans, because of nitrites, salt and smoking, so keep it occasional.
2. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, particularly in cured, canned and processed products.
3. Nitrites and nitrates used in curing, which can form cancer-linked nitrosamines when cooked at high heat, so avoid charring cured meats.
4. Raised LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk from the saturated fat in fattier cuts, skin and processed products, so choose lean cuts and trim visible fat.
5. Gout flare-ups in people with gout, since meat and especially organ meats are high in purines.

GroupsBeefProcessed MeatMammals (red meat)High proteinHigh sodiumRich in seleniumRich in vitamin B12Rich in vitamin CCured or salted

Related foodsBeef ChuckBeef Flank SteakBeef Mince / Ground BeefHamPastramiVeal

Wikipedia — Corned beef, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corned_beef