# "Corning Beef"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corning-beef/479646>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [January 3, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corning-beef/479646 "2009-01-03T00:05:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![loridooley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@loridooley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loridooley)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corning-beef/479646/1 "2009-01-03T00:05:58Z")

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What a great answer for “How Do You Corn Beef?” ~~ Sounds pretty disgusting but with a little horseradish, mmm good! Thank you so much for the info! loridooley

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corning-beef/479646/2 "2009-01-03T00:48:57Z")

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Welcome to the boards. When you post about a column, it’s helpful to link to it. Simple as cutting and pasting the link.

> **[How do you “corn” beef?](https://www.straightdope.com/21343291/how-do-you-corn-beef)**
>
> A STAFF REPORT FROM THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corning-beef/479646/3 "2009-01-03T04:26:44Z")

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> [@Dex & Ken](#):
>
> The pastrami is smoked for several hours, then simmered in fresh water or steamed.

Steamed? But then you don’t get the wonderful, bread-dissolving gravy. Thanks, but I prefer my pastrami like my Italian beef–sopping.

Question for Chicagoans: Does your favorite stand sell “soakers?” Y’know, just bread dipped in the Italian beef gravy! That’s livin’ large, and I’m large enough to prove it.

(sigh) Corned beef, pastrami, and Italian beef! And to think some people call brisket a trashy cut of beef, fit only for dogs and, er, “ethnics.” Though I never tried Italian beef with horseradish. It’d work, being the nectar of the gods, and I must try it. I generally stick to hot giardinaire peppers. But I put them on peanut butter toast, too, so I’m no judge.

Welcome,\*\* loridooley\*\*! I don’t know if Kurlansky’s _Salt: A World History_ is still required reading on this board, but check it out. You’ll never eat fish sauce again.

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corning-beef/479646/4 "2009-01-06T19:51:55Z")

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> [@dropzone](#):
>
> Steamed? But then you don’t get the wonderful, bread-dissolving gravy. Thanks, but I prefer my pastrami like my Italian beef–sopping.

Sopping wet pastrami? Interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such a thing. There’s only a handful of decent places to get pastrami in Chicago, with Manny’s being at the top. I’d think boiling pastrami would leech away most of the good flavor.

> [@](#):
>
> Question for Chicagoans: Does your favorite stand sell “soakers?” Y’know, just bread dipped in the Italian beef gravy! That’s livin’ large, and I’m large enough to prove it.

Yep, it’s just called “gravy bread” in my neighborhood.