St. Patrick’s Day is the traditional holiday to serve corned beef. Originally, “corned beef” was salted or brined during the winter to preserve it. After the long meatless Lent, this preserved meat was eaten.
Corning is a form of dry-curing meat with “corns” of salt. Today, beef brisket is cured in salt brine with spices but we still maintain the name “corned beef.” Corned beef is available as a sliced deli meat for sandwiches or whole corned beef briskets are available and often served with cooked cabbage.
Cook corned beef low and slow so it is “fork tender.” It will retain a pink color from the nitrites used in the curing process. Cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
