| − | '''Corned beef''' is a form of [[curing]] one of the several less-tender cuts of beef like the brisket, rump or round. It has nothing to do with corn. The name comes from [[Anglo-Saxon]] times before [[refrigeration]]. In those days, the meat was dry-cured in coarse “corns” of salt. Pellets of salt, some the size of kernels of corn, were rubbed into the beef to keep it from spoiling and to preserve it. Today, brining has replaced the dry salt cure, but the name “corned beef” is still used, rather than “brined” or “pickled” beef. Commonly used spices that give corned beef its distinctive [[flavor]] are peppercorns and bay leaf. | + | '''Corned beef''' is a form of [[curing]] one of the several less-tender cuts of [[beef]] like the [[brisket]], [[rump]], or [[round]].<ref>http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Help/A-Z_Index/index.asp USDA Index</ref> It has nothing to do with [[corn]]. The name comes from [[Anglo-Saxon]] times before [[refrigeration]]. In those days, the meat was dry-cured in coarse “corns” of [[salt]]. Pellets of salt, some the size of kernels of corn, were rubbed into the beef to keep it from spoiling and to preserve it. Today, [[brine|brining]] has replaced the dry salt cure, but the name “corned beef” is still used, rather than “brined” or “[[pickl]]ed” beef. Commonly used spices that give corned beef its distinctive [[flavor]] are [[peppercorn]]s and [[bay leaf]]. |