I love this, Ruth. My father came to Canada as a Jewish immigrant (actually refugee) in 1946 and opened a deli a few years later. The deli turned into a two-storey restaurant called Teddy's and I grew up there, eating our house-made corned beef. I've often wondered about its connection to the Irish corned beef tradition. Now I know!
Wow, Bonnie, I’d love to know more of your story! It sounds similar to mine. My father came to California as an immigrant in 1948, joining his parents and sisters who had fled Nazi Germany in late 1938. No delis in our family, but corned beef was popular, along with tongue, which my mother made often, and roast beef, part of her British/Scottish (also Jewish) heritage. It’s a small world, isn’t it?
So nice to connect, Ruth. We ate all of that -- tongue, roast beef, corned beef, chopped liver. My grandmother on my Mom's side had fled Ukraine twenty years before so she and my dad (mother-in-law and son-in-law) were close and worked together in our restaurants. My dad survived Auschwitz. It's all in my book, How to Share an Egg, coming out next January.
Thanks, Lerato! I think you would love it, but do it the old-fashioned way—boil it with spices. Slow cooking it isn’t the best choice, or it wasn’t for me. Thanks so much for your comment!🤗
Fun & timely Ruth. Here is my advice on this Irish holiday. A number of years ago (10+) we followed with great care the recipe from Alton Brown starting with a CostCo brisket (yeah the really big one). Children were never a fan of Corned Beef & Cabbage. We cured our brisket in manageable sizes 3 of them ~ 3.5 pounds each for the 10 or so days in the fridge. We made one for St Pat's and smoked the other two from the admittedly absurd 10# brisket. We final prepped one with a pastrami crust. What resulted were the finest examples of corned beef and pastrami I have ever enjoyed (save for the very best delis) which do the same thing. It is not as difficult as it sounds. I think, in some ways, our fall practice of sauerbraten is largely the same exercise. The biggest challenge is the space required in the fridge for briskets to break down. In the name of science and kitchen fun, please tell if you give it a try. For about $40 we end up with Corned Beef and cabbage, leftover CB becomes corned beef hash and two sizable roasts of corned beef and pastrami. It was much easier to justify in the days of three boys raiding the fridge at all hours. They are strikingly comparable to a very good deli rendition. One thing that has changed the equation is the cost. When north of the Mason-Dixon line FINALLY REALIZED that they had been missing out on BBQ for generations, the demand for briskets has driven prices skyward. Maybe we can genetically engineer cattle to produce more brisket. A good use for AI?
Wow, Mark, I just saw this! Sorry not to reply sooner! What a great and delicious sounding project! I would like to attempt curing brisket myself and turning it into corned beef and pastrami, though as I don't have three boys at home or grandkids, I don't think I can justify the expense or effort unless I have a party--which might be a good reason to have one, assuming the dish was successful! My mother used to make sauerbraten and spaetzle that made my father very happy, though I'm not quite sure how she did it. I will have to look up a recipe for that. Thanks for reading and inspiring me once again!
We made sauerbraten from a Betty Crocker recipe and then refined it further. As I recall ten days in the fridge with lemons, onions, and vinegar and all sorts of spices. The MAGIC is when you add basic store bought ginger snaps and it makes an absurdly great thick gravy. Same deal as you start with a lesser cut of meat and the acids break down the connective tissue. By the time you eat it, to die for. We used to host a fall dinner and take turns making different courses. The spaetzle is a commitment. The easy years were when you just made a couple of sides. We bought the pink curing salt from Amazon. What is also COOL is both recipes call for JUNIPER BERRIES in the brine. We found a recipe for brining a turkey that is similar. We just make the brine and put the turkey in a cooler in the garage and in a couple of days it is quite good.
We don't do two turkeys anymore unless EVERYONE IS HOME for Thanksgiving. The problem with smoking a turkey is you don't have drippings suitable for gravy.. Besides after selling our house, the logistics are a little different. If I find the recipe for the turkey it is worth a try and will forward it to you. I would expect it would be similar results with a duck.
I still do the brisket and truth be told if we left the pastrami on the counter, I think the boys and their clans would finish it off in short order as long as we had the right coarse mustard or fresh horseradish. The flash-frozen briskets at CostCo are amazinging good whether trying to replicate southern BBQ or corned beef.
I appreciate the additional info, Mark. I will have to check out the briskets at Costco. The sauerbraten with gingersnaps sounds really wonderful! I'm definitely going to make that, though it's starting to get warm here, so I may have to wait a while. I assume you have a smoker. As I don't, the smoked turkey and brisket for pastrami probably aren't doable. But that sauerbraten is another story. Thanks again for making my mouth water and giving me lots of ideas for what to do with brisket, turkey and even duck!
I passed my smoker onto one of my sons. It is a lot of fun and involves the men in the feast (and keeps us out of the kitchen). One has to be an optimist in MN to use a smoker at Thanksgiving An insulating jacket helps but it punishes those that just have to peek as opening it lets out the smoke and the temperature is hard to recover. It is kinda fun and I understand why this is an obsession in the American South. The sauerbraten is easy and is better the seconds day. You will not regret it -- especially if you snack on the leftover gingersnaps.
And salted beef was a mainstay of those British tars who sailed over the seven seas. In fact, a large portion of the fresh water on board was solely for use in desalinizing the beef (and mutton) so as to render it edible. Salt was THE preservative back in those days. I often wonder how similar it tasted, once prepared, to corned beef.
It’s so interesting that so much of the preservation of meats and other foods that we take for granted now was born of necessity, something we tend to forget. It’s tasty and not cheap anymore and unfortunately, as I get older, something I have to eat only moderation due to the high level of salt. 🥲 Thanks for your comment, Crowden.
Our dad used to make us green eggs and ham 😃 Also, St. Patrick’s Day was the one day we were allowed to go to McDonald’s for a Big Mac and a Shamrock shake. This was long before the “pink slime” days of course. So how was the corned beef??
I plan on heading to the grocery store shortly to pick up a corned beef if there are any left. I don't make it very often, but I will probably just follow the directions on the package. It's the type of meal that my grandmother always referred to as a "boiled dinner". Not an appealing name! Your sauce with the mustard sounds good, Ruth.
Thanks, Vicki! There's a simplicity to the ingredients in this boiled dinner. The sauce came out delicious and really does add to the dish. But if/when I make corned beef again, I am going to follow the package directions. I think they're pretty foolproof. Top o' the morning (and day!) to you!🤗
I *really* want to know how it came out -- I've ghost written this for a client before, spent a lot of time on it, and whilst I know I got the final dish right because of the ratings it has online... that testing period helped me come to the (personal) conclusion that this dish is a culinary abomination...!
Thanks for the question, Rachel. I realize that I need an addendum to my story saying what I thought of the final dish. It honestly wouldn't be my favorite, though, being the stubborn soul I am, I will probably try again to see if I can make it better next time.
After so many hours, the meat did finally soften enough to slice. It's on the salty side, of course, as that' the nature of cured meats. It didn't slice as prettily as those in the delis, but that was partly because of my indiscriminate chopping of the meat to try to get it to cook! I thought the flavor was pretty close to deli style, but really not as complex as other pieces of beef I've made. The gravy of beer, mustard and butter really did improve the dish a lot. Without it, it's a bit too plain for my taste. I added the meat to an omelet and liked it quite a lot. Next, I'm planning on making a sandwich out of it and hoping that will take it to the next level. I wouldn't classify it as "a culinary abomination," but, honestly, I like my brisket far better!
I go with slow and simple. Meat, potatoes, onions and carrots. Low and slow cooking in the oven or cook-top. The whole house smells amazing for hours.
I'll wait until after the holiday, when the brisket is marked down before purchasing.
My only issue is that I can only give my cat 🐈 a tiny amount at a time since onions can harm him. Don't worry, he gets plenty of other treats to make up for it.
I think I'll try it in the oven next time--low and slow as I do brisket, which comes out great. Thanks for sharing your method. I'm definitely going to try making it again--though not right away! I didn't know that onions were bad for cats. I wonder if highly cured meats can be a problem too. Thanks so much for your comment, Joe!
Corned beef was once a staple of every Australian household. Here it’s called silverside and was invariably served with white sauce and parsley! I think however, it's fallen very much out of favour, and you rarely hear of people cooking it anymore. I hope after your very long cook yours was enjoyable!
It was finally quite good, though perhaps not worth all the hours put into making it! I can see why it might have fallen out of favor. It's rather salty, and of course it's a big chunk of meat, which most of us are trying to eat less of lately. Still, I"m nothing if not a lover of food traditions so I felt I had to try it. Thanks so much for your comment, Julia!
I love this, Ruth. My father came to Canada as a Jewish immigrant (actually refugee) in 1946 and opened a deli a few years later. The deli turned into a two-storey restaurant called Teddy's and I grew up there, eating our house-made corned beef. I've often wondered about its connection to the Irish corned beef tradition. Now I know!
Wow, Bonnie, I’d love to know more of your story! It sounds similar to mine. My father came to California as an immigrant in 1948, joining his parents and sisters who had fled Nazi Germany in late 1938. No delis in our family, but corned beef was popular, along with tongue, which my mother made often, and roast beef, part of her British/Scottish (also Jewish) heritage. It’s a small world, isn’t it?
So nice to connect, Ruth. We ate all of that -- tongue, roast beef, corned beef, chopped liver. My grandmother on my Mom's side had fled Ukraine twenty years before so she and my dad (mother-in-law and son-in-law) were close and worked together in our restaurants. My dad survived Auschwitz. It's all in my book, How to Share an Egg, coming out next January.
I look forward to reading that book, Bonnie!
I loved corned beef growing up, the canned stuff!!! Oh dear! Tickled to learn more and perhaps try to make some.
Thanks, Lerato! I think you would love it, but do it the old-fashioned way—boil it with spices. Slow cooking it isn’t the best choice, or it wasn’t for me. Thanks so much for your comment!🤗
Fun & timely Ruth. Here is my advice on this Irish holiday. A number of years ago (10+) we followed with great care the recipe from Alton Brown starting with a CostCo brisket (yeah the really big one). Children were never a fan of Corned Beef & Cabbage. We cured our brisket in manageable sizes 3 of them ~ 3.5 pounds each for the 10 or so days in the fridge. We made one for St Pat's and smoked the other two from the admittedly absurd 10# brisket. We final prepped one with a pastrami crust. What resulted were the finest examples of corned beef and pastrami I have ever enjoyed (save for the very best delis) which do the same thing. It is not as difficult as it sounds. I think, in some ways, our fall practice of sauerbraten is largely the same exercise. The biggest challenge is the space required in the fridge for briskets to break down. In the name of science and kitchen fun, please tell if you give it a try. For about $40 we end up with Corned Beef and cabbage, leftover CB becomes corned beef hash and two sizable roasts of corned beef and pastrami. It was much easier to justify in the days of three boys raiding the fridge at all hours. They are strikingly comparable to a very good deli rendition. One thing that has changed the equation is the cost. When north of the Mason-Dixon line FINALLY REALIZED that they had been missing out on BBQ for generations, the demand for briskets has driven prices skyward. Maybe we can genetically engineer cattle to produce more brisket. A good use for AI?
Wow, Mark, I just saw this! Sorry not to reply sooner! What a great and delicious sounding project! I would like to attempt curing brisket myself and turning it into corned beef and pastrami, though as I don't have three boys at home or grandkids, I don't think I can justify the expense or effort unless I have a party--which might be a good reason to have one, assuming the dish was successful! My mother used to make sauerbraten and spaetzle that made my father very happy, though I'm not quite sure how she did it. I will have to look up a recipe for that. Thanks for reading and inspiring me once again!
We made sauerbraten from a Betty Crocker recipe and then refined it further. As I recall ten days in the fridge with lemons, onions, and vinegar and all sorts of spices. The MAGIC is when you add basic store bought ginger snaps and it makes an absurdly great thick gravy. Same deal as you start with a lesser cut of meat and the acids break down the connective tissue. By the time you eat it, to die for. We used to host a fall dinner and take turns making different courses. The spaetzle is a commitment. The easy years were when you just made a couple of sides. We bought the pink curing salt from Amazon. What is also COOL is both recipes call for JUNIPER BERRIES in the brine. We found a recipe for brining a turkey that is similar. We just make the brine and put the turkey in a cooler in the garage and in a couple of days it is quite good.
We don't do two turkeys anymore unless EVERYONE IS HOME for Thanksgiving. The problem with smoking a turkey is you don't have drippings suitable for gravy.. Besides after selling our house, the logistics are a little different. If I find the recipe for the turkey it is worth a try and will forward it to you. I would expect it would be similar results with a duck.
I still do the brisket and truth be told if we left the pastrami on the counter, I think the boys and their clans would finish it off in short order as long as we had the right coarse mustard or fresh horseradish. The flash-frozen briskets at CostCo are amazinging good whether trying to replicate southern BBQ or corned beef.
I appreciate the additional info, Mark. I will have to check out the briskets at Costco. The sauerbraten with gingersnaps sounds really wonderful! I'm definitely going to make that, though it's starting to get warm here, so I may have to wait a while. I assume you have a smoker. As I don't, the smoked turkey and brisket for pastrami probably aren't doable. But that sauerbraten is another story. Thanks again for making my mouth water and giving me lots of ideas for what to do with brisket, turkey and even duck!
I passed my smoker onto one of my sons. It is a lot of fun and involves the men in the feast (and keeps us out of the kitchen). One has to be an optimist in MN to use a smoker at Thanksgiving An insulating jacket helps but it punishes those that just have to peek as opening it lets out the smoke and the temperature is hard to recover. It is kinda fun and I understand why this is an obsession in the American South. The sauerbraten is easy and is better the seconds day. You will not regret it -- especially if you snack on the leftover gingersnaps.
Such fun to hear from you again, Mark! I always learn something, smile and get stoked to try something new! And now I'm also hungry for gingersnaps!😋
An epic tale, with a dash humor.
Thanks, Amie!💕
And salted beef was a mainstay of those British tars who sailed over the seven seas. In fact, a large portion of the fresh water on board was solely for use in desalinizing the beef (and mutton) so as to render it edible. Salt was THE preservative back in those days. I often wonder how similar it tasted, once prepared, to corned beef.
It’s so interesting that so much of the preservation of meats and other foods that we take for granted now was born of necessity, something we tend to forget. It’s tasty and not cheap anymore and unfortunately, as I get older, something I have to eat only moderation due to the high level of salt. 🥲 Thanks for your comment, Crowden.
Happy St Pat’s, Ruth! 😋 yummy!
Thanks, Amy!
Our dad used to make us green eggs and ham 😃 Also, St. Patrick’s Day was the one day we were allowed to go to McDonald’s for a Big Mac and a Shamrock shake. This was long before the “pink slime” days of course. So how was the corned beef??
I plan on heading to the grocery store shortly to pick up a corned beef if there are any left. I don't make it very often, but I will probably just follow the directions on the package. It's the type of meal that my grandmother always referred to as a "boiled dinner". Not an appealing name! Your sauce with the mustard sounds good, Ruth.
Thanks, Vicki! There's a simplicity to the ingredients in this boiled dinner. The sauce came out delicious and really does add to the dish. But if/when I make corned beef again, I am going to follow the package directions. I think they're pretty foolproof. Top o' the morning (and day!) to you!🤗
I *really* want to know how it came out -- I've ghost written this for a client before, spent a lot of time on it, and whilst I know I got the final dish right because of the ratings it has online... that testing period helped me come to the (personal) conclusion that this dish is a culinary abomination...!
Thanks for the question, Rachel. I realize that I need an addendum to my story saying what I thought of the final dish. It honestly wouldn't be my favorite, though, being the stubborn soul I am, I will probably try again to see if I can make it better next time.
After so many hours, the meat did finally soften enough to slice. It's on the salty side, of course, as that' the nature of cured meats. It didn't slice as prettily as those in the delis, but that was partly because of my indiscriminate chopping of the meat to try to get it to cook! I thought the flavor was pretty close to deli style, but really not as complex as other pieces of beef I've made. The gravy of beer, mustard and butter really did improve the dish a lot. Without it, it's a bit too plain for my taste. I added the meat to an omelet and liked it quite a lot. Next, I'm planning on making a sandwich out of it and hoping that will take it to the next level. I wouldn't classify it as "a culinary abomination," but, honestly, I like my brisket far better!
I do think your sauce additions would have helped a lot, I was stuck using seasoning packets and water!
It did make a difference. Otherwise, the dishes just too plain in my opinion.
Agreed. What of it I did eat in testing because I hate waste I turned into sandwiches doused in mustard and stuffed with pickles!
Yummmm!!! That does sound good! Just got some rye bread and pickles and am going to do the same!😋
We used to be regulars at Canters Deli on Fairfax to feed Sabrina’s pastrami addiction. Happy memories, Ruth!
Canter's is a huge favorite and we go there whenever we can. Thanks so much for your comment!
I go with slow and simple. Meat, potatoes, onions and carrots. Low and slow cooking in the oven or cook-top. The whole house smells amazing for hours.
I'll wait until after the holiday, when the brisket is marked down before purchasing.
My only issue is that I can only give my cat 🐈 a tiny amount at a time since onions can harm him. Don't worry, he gets plenty of other treats to make up for it.
I think I'll try it in the oven next time--low and slow as I do brisket, which comes out great. Thanks for sharing your method. I'm definitely going to try making it again--though not right away! I didn't know that onions were bad for cats. I wonder if highly cured meats can be a problem too. Thanks so much for your comment, Joe!
My mouth is watering, Ruth! And I love the line about happiness having an impact on longevity, too! Happy St. Pats! ☘️
Thanks, Jolene! Happiness is a key ingredient in longevity, I think. I'm working on finding more of it!🥰 Wishing you lots for St. Pats and beyond!☘️
Corned beef was once a staple of every Australian household. Here it’s called silverside and was invariably served with white sauce and parsley! I think however, it's fallen very much out of favour, and you rarely hear of people cooking it anymore. I hope after your very long cook yours was enjoyable!
It was finally quite good, though perhaps not worth all the hours put into making it! I can see why it might have fallen out of favor. It's rather salty, and of course it's a big chunk of meat, which most of us are trying to eat less of lately. Still, I"m nothing if not a lover of food traditions so I felt I had to try it. Thanks so much for your comment, Julia!
Wow, Ruth, that's a lot of hours you put into making the dish. I hope it tasted good.
I think it was pretty successful, though your son hasn't had any yet. In an omelet, it does remind me of salami and eggs, a good memory.