If your family is anything like mine, corned beef was a staple on the dinner table come St. Patrick’s Day. After dinner, I would alway wonder what monstrosity I had just consumed, right before drifting into a cabbage and potato induced coma.
Corned beef originated as a way to store beef, by packing it in rock salt, or occasionally, corns of salt peter, hence the name, corned beef. As several Irish ports transformed into large beef curing and packing plants, and as economic recession struck several large British cities Irish corned beef became an affordable and common food in British kitchens, creating the stereotype that corned beef was an Irish food, despite most Irish citizens not eating corned beef.
Contrary to what 13 year old me thought, nowadays corned beef is one of my favorite meals. The beef is tender, flavorful, and salty, and when combined with cabbage and potatoes boiled in Guinness, creates one of the most delicious and simple meals out there. And of course, the leftovers make pretty good sandwiches.