Corned beef and cabbage is the quintessential food of St. Patrick’s Day. However, much like our St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, the tradition of corned beef for your holiday dinner is an American invention and was not brought over from Ireland.

But what exactly is corned beef?
The process of “corning” meat is actually just salt curing or pickling. The word corning is used in reference to the size of the salt grains. They were typically as big as kernels of corn. Therefore, Corned Beef is just pickled beef, usually a brisket.

Historically, the Irish people considered beef to be a luxury that was not often eaten. And, instead they would turn to ham or bacon for their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. It wasn’t until Irish immigrants arrived in America where beef was actually cheaper and more readily available that corned beef became the staple. The same is true for cabbage. It was the most economical vegetable available and therefore became the obvious choice as an accompaniment.

The preparation of corned beef is not without controversy. Typically, corned beef is made using sodium nitrate to help prevent the growth of bacteria. It is also what gives corned beef its distinctive pink color. Some in the medical profession believe that sodium nitrate can cause damage to the blood vessels which can lead to heart disease. Others conclude it is harmless and that a person can consume more nitrates through other foods like spinach and celery. The debate continues on. But, ultimately the choice is up to you. Frankly leaving out the sodium nitrate, or salt peter as it is also known, can make it easier to corn your own beef as salt peter can be difficult to find. The flavor results are the same.

Corning your own beef is a great way to control what ingredients are used. But, beware that you will need to plan ahead. The brisket, or whatever meat you choose, will need to sit in the brine for multiple days.

Nitrate-Free Corned Beef Recipe
From adapted from Michael Symon’s Carnivore
Yields 4 to 6 servings Read more…