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 Cooked corned beef | |
| Alternative names | Salt beef,bully beef (ifcanned) |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Beef, salt, nitrates |
| Variations | Adding sugar and spices |
Corned beef, calledsalted beef in someCommonwealth countries, is asalt-cured piece of beef. The term comes from the treatment of the meat with large-grainedrock salt, also called "corns" ofsalt. Sometimes,sugar andspices are added to corned beef recipes. Corned beef is featured as an ingredient in many cuisines.
Most recipes includenitrates, which convert the naturalmyoglobin in beef tonitrosomyoglobin, giving it a pink color. Nitrates and nitrites reduce the risk of dangerousbotulism duringcuring by inhibiting the growth ofClostridium botulinum bacteria spores,[1] but react with amines in beef to form compounds that cause cancer.[2] Beef cured without nitrates or nitrites has a gray color and is sometimes called "New England corned beef".[3]
Tinned corned beef, alongsidesalt pork andhardtack, was a standardration for many militaries and navies from the 17th through the early 20th centuries, includingWorld War I andWorld War II, during which fresh meat was rationed.[4] Corned beef remains popular worldwide as an ingredient in a variety of regional dishes and as a common part in modernfield rations of various armed forces around the world.
Although the exact origin of corned beef is unknown, it most likely came about when people began preserving meat throughsalt-curing. Evidence of its legacy is apparent in numerous cultures, including ancient Europe and the Middle East.[5] The wordcorn derives fromOld English and is used to describe any small, hard particles orgrains.[6] In the case ofcorned beef, the word may refer to the coarse, granular salts used tocure the beef.[5] The word "corned" may also refer to the corns ofpotassium nitrate, also known as saltpeter, which were formerly used to preserve the meat.[7][8][9]
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Although the practise of curing beef existed across the globe since the period ofclassical antiquity, the industrial production of corned beef started in theBritish Isles during theBritish Agricultural Revolution. Corned beef sourced from cattle reared inIreland andScotland was used extensively for civilian and military consumption throughout theBritish Empire beginning from the 17th century onwards due to its non-perishable nature.[4] Irish and Scottish corned beef was also sold to theFrench West Indies, where it was used to feed bothsettlers andslaves.[10] Industrial processes in the British Isles for producing corned beef during the 17th century did not distinguish differentcuts of beef beyond the tough and undesirable parts of the cow such as thebeef shank andneck.[10][11] Instead, the grading was done by sorting all cuts of beef by weight into "small beef", "cargo beef" and "best mess beef", with the first being considered the worst and the last the best.[10] "Small beef" and "cargo beef" cuts were most commonly traded to the French, while "best mess beef" were frequently intended for sale and consumption in markets throughout the British Empire.[10]
Ireland produced a significant portion of corned beef consumed in the British Empire during theearly modern period, using cattle reared locally and salt imported from theIberian Peninsula andsouthern France.[10] Irish port cities, such asDublin,Belfast andCork, became home to large-scale beef curing and packing industries, with Cork alone producing half of Ireland's annual beef exports in 1668.[11] Although the consumption of corned beef carried no significant negative connotations in Europe, in European colonies in the Americas it was frequently looked upon with disdain due to being primarily consumed by poor people and slaves.[10] American social theoristJeremy Rifkin noted the sociopolitical effect of corned beef in the British Isles during the early modern period in his 1992 bookBeyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture:
The Britishenclosure movement had displaced thousands of rural English families, creating a cheap new labour pool to fill the unskilled jobs in the industrial factories ofLondon,Leeds,Manchester, andBristol. Shortages of foodstuffs and rising prices were fueling discontent among the new working class and middle class of the cities, threatening open rebellion. British officials and entrepreneurs quieted the masses with Scottish and Irish beef. Historians of the period point out that were it not for the Celtic pasturelands of Scotland and Ireland, it might well have proved impossible to quell the growing unrest of the British working class during the critical decades of British industrial expansion.[12]
Despite being a major producer of corned beef, the majority of the Irish population during this period,Catholictenant farmers, consumed relatively little meat in their diets. This was due to a variety of factors, including the high costs of buying meat in Ireland and the ownership of the majority of Irishfarms byProtestant landlords, who marked most of the corned beef produced using their cattle for export. The level of meat, including corned beef, present in the Irish diet of the period decreased in areas away from major centres for corned beef production, such asNorthern Ireland, while increasing in areas such asCounty Cork. The majority of meat consumed by working-class Irish Catholics consisted of cheap products such assalt pork, withbacon and cabbage quickly becoming one of the most common meals inIrish cuisine.[11]
Corned beef became a less important commodity in the 19th century Atlantic world, due in part to theabolition of slavery.[10] Corned beef production and its canned form remained an important food source duringWorld War II. Much of the canned corned beef was produced by theFrigorífico Anglo inFray Bentos,Uruguay, with over 16 million cans exported in 1943.[11] Today significant amounts of the global canned corned beef supply comes from South America. Approximately 80% of the global canned corned beef supply originates in Brazil.[13]
Corned beef is a type of processed red meat. Red meat is a good source of protein, iron, zinc, and vitamins B1, B2, B6, and B12.[14] According to theInternational Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), processed meat causes cancer, particularlycolorectal cancer.[15] Strong evidence also links processed meat with higher risks ofcardiovascular disease andtype 2 diabetes.[16] TheWorld Cancer Research Fund recommends minimizing consumption of processed meats.[17]
In North America, corned beef dishes are associated with traditional British and Irish cuisines.[18]
Mark Kurlansky, in his bookSalt, states that the Irish produced a salted beef around theMiddle Ages that was the "forerunner of what today is known as Irish corned beef" and in the 17th century, the English named the Irish salted beef "corned beef".[19]
Before the wave of 19th centuryIrish immigration to the United States, many ethnic Irish immigrants did not consume corned beef dishes. The popularity of corned beef compared toback bacon among the Irish immigrant population may have been due to corned beef being considered a luxury product in their native land, while it was cheap and readily available in the United States.[11]
The Jewish population produced similar corned beefbrisket, also smoking it intopastrami. Irish immigrants often purchased corned beef from Jewish butchers.[11][20]
Canned corned beef has long been one of the standard meals included inmilitary field ration packs globally, due to its simplicity and instant preparation. One example is the AmericanMeal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) pack. AstronautJohn Young sneaked a contraband corned beef sandwich on boardGemini 3, hiding it in a pocket of his spacesuit.[21]
In the United States and Canada, corned beef is typically available in two forms: a cut of beef (usually brisket, but sometimes round orsilverside) cured or pickled in a seasoned brine, or cooked and canned.
Corned beef is often purchased ready to eat inJewish delicatessens. It is the key ingredient in the grilledReuben sandwich, consisting of corned beef,Swiss cheese,sauerkraut, andThousand Island orRussian dressing onrye bread.Smoking corned beef, typically with a generally similar spice mix, producessmoked meat (or "smoked beef") such aspastrami orMontreal-style smoked meat.
Corned beefhashed with potatoes served with eggs is a common breakfast dish in theUnited States of America.
In both the United States and Canada, corned beef is sold in cans inminced form. It is also sold this way inPuerto Rico andUruguay.
MultipleCaribbean nations have their own varied versions of canned corned beef as a dish, common in Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Barbados, and elsewhere.[22]
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Corned beef is known specifically as "salt beef" in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is sold in buckets with brine to preserve the beef and is not seasoned with spices. It is a staple product culturally in Newfoundland and Labrador, providing a source of meat during their long winters. It is commonly eaten in Newfoundland and Labrador as part of the localJiggs dinner meal. It has been used in different meals locally, such as a Jiggs dinnerpoutine dish.
In the United States, consumption of corned beef is often associated withSaint Patrick's Day.[23] Corned beef is not an Irish national dish, and the connection with Saint Patrick's Day specifically originates as part ofIrish-American culture, and is often part of their celebrations in North America.[24]
Corned beef was used as a substitute for bacon by Irish immigrants in the late 19th century.[25]Corned beef and cabbage is the Irish-American variant of the Irish dish of bacon and cabbage. A similar dish is theNew England boiled dinner, consisting of corned beef, cabbage, and root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, and potatoes, which is popular inNew England and another similar dish, Jiggs dinner, is popular in parts of Atlantic Canada.
The appearance of corned beef in Irish cuisine dates to the 12th century in the poemAislinge Meic Con Glinne orThe Vision of MacConglinne.[26] Within the text, it is described as a delicacy a king uses to purge himself of the "demon ofgluttony". Cattle, valued as abartering tool, were only eaten when no longer able to provide milk or to work. The corned beef as described in this text was a rare and valued dish, given the value and position of cattle within the culture, as well as the expense of salt, and was unrelated to the corned beef eaten today.[27]
In the UK, "corned beef" refers to minced and canned salt beef. Unminced corned beef is referred to as salt beef.[28]
InIsrael, a canned corned beef calledLoof (לוף [he]) was the traditional field ration of theIsrael Defense Forces until the product's discontinuation in 2011. The nameLoof derives from "a colloquially corrupt short form of 'meatloaf.'"[29]Loof was developed by the IDF in the late 1940s as a kosher form ofbully beef, while similar canned meats had earlier been an important component of relief packages sent to Europe andPalestine by Jewish organizations such asHadassah.[29]
In Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, colonialism by western powers brought with them something that would change Polynesian diets—canned goods, including the highly prized corned beef. Natural disasters brought in food aid from New Zealand, Australia, and the US, then world wars in the mid-20th century, foreign foods became a bigger part of daily diets while retaining ancestral foods like taro and coconuts.[30]Both wet salt-brined beef and canned corned beef are differentiated. In Samoa,brinedpovi masima (lit. 'salted beef') or cannedpīsupo (lit. "pea soup", general term for canned foods). In Tonga, corned (wet brine)masima or canned meatskapa are typical.
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Corned beef has also become a common dish inHong Kong cuisine, though it has been heavily adapted in style and preparation to fit local tastes. It is often served with other "Western" fusion cuisine atcha chaan teng and other cheap restaurants catering to locals.
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Along with other canned meats, canned corned beef is a popular breakfast staple in thePhilippines.[31][32] Corned beef is also known ascarne norte (alternative spelling:karne norte) locally, literally translating to "northern meat" in Spanish; the term refers to Americans, whom Filipinos referred then asnorteamericanos, just like the rest of Spain's colonies, where there is a differentiation between what isnorteamericano (Canadian,American,Mexicano, what iscentroamericano (Nicaraguense,Costarricense et al.), and what issudamericano (Colombiano,Equatoriano,Paraguayo, et al.). The colonial mindset distinction then of what was norteamericano was countries north of theViceroy's Road (Camino de Virreyes), the route used to transport goods from theManila Galleon landing in the port ofAcapulco overland forHavana via the port ofVeracruz (and not theRio Grande river in Texas today), thus centroamericano meant the other Spanish possessions south ofMexico City.
Corned beef, especially theLibby's brand, first became popular during theAmerican colonial period of the Philippines (1901–1941) among the wealthy as a luxury food; they were advertised serving the corned beef cold and straight-from-the-can on to a bed of rice, or as patties in between bread. DuringWorld War II (1942–1945), American soldiers brought for themselves, and airdropped from the skies the same corned beef; it was a life-or-death commodity since theJapanese Imperial Army forcibly controlled all food in an effort to subvert any resistance against them.
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After the war (1946 to present), corned beef gained far more popularity. It remains a staple inbalikbayan boxes and onFilipino breakfast tables. The ordinary Filipino can afford them, and many brands have sprung up, including those manufactured byCentury Pacific Food,CDO Foodsphere andSan Miguel Food and Beverage, which are wholly owned by Filipinos and locally manufactured.[31][32]
Philippine corned beef is typically made from shredded beef or buffalo meat, and is almost exclusively sold in cans. It is boiled, shredded, canned, and sold in supermarkets and grocery stores for mass consumption. It is usually served as the breakfast combination called "corned beefsilog", in which corned beef is cooked ascarne norte guisado (fried, mixed with onions, garlic, and often, finely cubedpotatoes,carrots,tomatoes, and/orcabbage), with a side ofsinangag (garlic fried rice), and a fried egg.[33][31][34] Another common way to eat corned beef istortang carne norte (or corned beef omelet), in which corned beef is mixed with egg and fried.[35][36] Corned beef is also used as a cheap meat ingredient in dishes likesopas andsinigang.[37][38][39]
Mark Knopfler's song"Corned Beef City" from the albumPrivateering (2012)
Potassium nitrate is used in the manufacture of gunpowder ... It is also used in curing meats; it prevents putrefaction and produces the deep red color familiar in the case of salted hams and corned beef.
you have probably noticed how nice and red corned beef is. That's because it has in it saltpeter, the same stuff that is used in making gunpowder.
The chief use of potassium nitrate as a preservative is in the preparation of 'corned' beef.
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