Traditional Corned Beef

By Chef Daniel Orr

Published October 29, 2019 at 5:46 PM EDT

History Of Corned Beef

We think of corned beef and cabbage as a traditional Irish dish, but it's really an Irish American dish.

Corning was originally a method of preserving beef for ocean travel, where the beef would be stacked in barrels with corning spices and then when it was time to eat it, it would be taken out and boiled.

Irish immigrants experienced corned beef on the trip over on the boat, and they found it very satisfying. We think of it as not a really classy dish but, when done right, it can be a wonderful celebration.

The longer you leave the spice mixture on the beef, the more flavor you'll get. You do want to keep mixing the brine and turning the meat so it gets evenly spiced.

Once you take the beef out of the mixture, you could use it right away, or it can last several days in the fridge.

Preparing The Corned Beef

Remove the beef from the brine and put it in a pot of cold water.

Bring to a boil and cook until tender (about two and a half hours). You want to be able to stick a fork into it and it should be really, really tender.

Add a variety of vegetables to the same broth and cook until tender so they absorb the flavor of the corned beef.

Serve on a big rustic platter with some freshly grated horseradish, some really pungent mustard, and crusty Irish soda bread.