# Corned Beef - whats in it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795 "2002-03-18T00:21:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fat\_George](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c77e96/32.png) [@Fat\_George](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fat_George)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/1 "2002-03-18T00:21:12Z")
A buddy tells me Corned beef contains all the odd bits.Bits of brain,bowel,stomach all kinds of crap.But why does it taste so good? I was eating it the other day and thinking -This is cold ,raw meat full of brain but it taste’s the buissness.I mean you would’nt eat an uncooked burger.What part of corned beef is it that tastes so good? whats the production process? ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2002, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/2 "2002-03-18T00:28:24Z")
The “corn” in the name refers to grains of salt, not of “corn” (maize) or any other food grain like wheat or rye. (I didn’t mean that to be confusing.) Simply stated, “corned beef” is merely beef that has been preserved with “grains” of salt. (Remember “salt pork”?) _Corn, grain_ and the Russian _zerno_ are actually the same word. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2002, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/3 "2002-03-18T00:31:42Z")
try this recipe. 1 beef brisket 1/4 tsp salt peter 1/4 C warm water 2 T sugar 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp paprika 1 T mixed pickling spices 3/4 C salt 2 quarts water Place the meat in a large crock. Dissolve the salt peter in the warm water. Add the next four ingredients. Dissolve the salt in the 2 quarts of water. Mix everything together and pour over the meat. Be sure the meat is beneath the surface of the liquid. Refrigerate for three weeks, turning the meat once or twice per week. Prepare according to any standard recipe for corned beef. Salt peter is commonly used in veterinary medicine. Some drugstores carry it [http://www.restaurantshow.com/cornedbf.htm](http://www.restaurantshow.com/cornedbf.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/4 "2002-03-18T21:53:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fat George \* > \*\*A buddy tells me Corned beef contains all the odd bits.Bits of brain,bowel,stomach all kinds of crap.But why does it taste so good? I was eating it the other day and thinking -This is cold ,raw meat full of brain but it taste’s the buissness.I mean you would’nt eat an uncooked burger.What part of corned beef is it that tastes so good? > whats the production process? \*\* It isn’t raw; like most(all?) canned foods, it’s cooked in the can to sterilise it. The bit that tastes so good is in all probability the fat and salt. ---
**Author:** ![Paxil30](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@Paxil30](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paxil30)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/5 "2002-03-19T02:51:06Z")
I love corned beef brisket. All it is, is a haunch of beef that has been pickled with salt and other herbs and soaked in a brine. It is ONE solid chunk of beef. Nothing else and nothing more. It is delicious cooked with cabbage and carrots and potatoes!! It makes the kitchen smell great when simmering!! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/6 "2002-03-19T03:25:38Z")
Regular (uncorned) beef brisket is also wonderful. It’s found as a frequent part of “Jewish” cuisine, so it is often found in delis. But it’s best made at home, from any one of a number of recipes, and sliced thickly onto the plate. The subsequent sandwiches are fantastic, cold or hot. And I second **Paxil30**. Brisket is a solid hunk of beef, not a junked together hot dog-like conglomeration of scraps. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/7 "2002-03-19T04:28:47Z")
I make corned beef every year for St. Patrick’s Day. IIRC, this year the recipe was: 1 beef brisket thyme pepper kosher salt crushed bay leaves paprika and maybe some other spices I had laying around. I don’t use saltpeter, although many recipes call for it. Cut all the fat off the brisket. Poke it all over with a knife. Rub the above mixture all over. Put in a ziploc, put it in a dish. Weight it down with another dish and a couple cans o’ beans. Put it in the back of the fridge for 5-7 days, flipping it over every day. Note the lack of brains, bowel, or arsehole. Just brisket, spices, and salt. 'twas yum-numiny. I cook it by covering it with water and boiling for a few hours, adding in cabbage, onions, parsnips, and turnips towards the end. Try it! ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/8 "2002-03-19T04:55:25Z")
Of course, around here, we _barbecue_ the brisket! ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/9 "2002-03-19T14:46:41Z")
Since nobody’s touching on the more lurid allegations of your post, I’ll weigh-in. Corned beef (at least, as traditionally made) consists of beef “brisket” that has been cured in brine (salt water) for several hours. I couldn’t tell you exactly where the brisket comes from, but it’s definitely a single part of the cow. From what I’ve heard, it was traditionally a cheap cut of meat, which is why turned into things like corned beef, pastrami, and barbecued brisket. The long, slow cooking dissolves the tough parts of the meat, making it more appetizing. ---
**Author:** ![lucidity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lucidity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucidity)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/10 "2002-03-19T16:04:10Z")
Back when I was in high school, my chemistry teacher once told us that the military used to give salt peter to soldiers to reduce their libido. I wonder if the dose put into corned beef per the various reference recipes would be an effective dose. Does anyone notice a drop-off in their sex life after over-indulgence in corned beef? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/11 "2002-03-19T19:15:51Z")
The Master speaks, on [saltpeter and libido](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_221.html). To be fair, military food does contain more saltpeter than most things civilians eat, but that’s due to its use as a preservative, the same purpose it’s serving in corned beef. ---
**Author:** ![Ring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Ring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ring)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corned-beef-whats-in-it/98795/12 "2002-03-19T21:44:03Z")
The best corned beef in the entire world is served at the Stage Deli on Seventh Ave near 54th street. It’s probably considered to be tourist trap, but I’ve sampled just about every Deli in Manhattan and the Stage’s corned beef and swiss is absolute ambrosia.