Corned beef?

Question

Why is corned beef called corned beef? I am assuming it is something to do with the way it is processed, but is there actually any corn involved or is it just the process called corned?

Answer 1

Corned beef refers to beef that has been preserved and flavored in a brine solution that is usually prepared with salt, which acts as a preservative. Sugar is stirred into the brine solution, which prevents the meat from getting hard due to the presence of the salt. Also added to the solution is saltpeter, which helps to maintain the red coloring of the meat and various spices are added for flavoring. The reason it is called corned beef is because the old English word "corned" was used to describe beef that was cured and the word "corn" was the word describing a small kernel or particle such as the particles of salt that were used. Corned beef is available as a sliced deli meat for sandwiches or whole corned beef briskets are available that are often served with cooked cabbage.

Answer 2

You got a pretty close answer. Blame the English for this one. Corned beef was preserved by rubbing with a coarse salt. The salt was roughly about the size of wheat grain, Kern to an englishman. Pronounced corn. To the English corn is maize.
Anyway rubbed with salt kern became corned.
Our American corn is called that because the english were refering to it as grain by calling it kern, meaning just grain.

Answer 3

Just to add to those above, corned beef is usually made from a cheaper, tough cut of meat and the process tenderizes the meat.

Answer 4

Salt used to come in bigger pellets, about the size of a corn kernel, called "corns." Corned beef is basically salted. cured pickled beef.

Answer 5

It actually means "Preserved in coarse salt or brine", by association "Pickled" also used to mean "Drunk" in another usage, "Corned" also meant "Drunk" in American slang from drinking too much Corn spirit (Moonshine) so you can see although a very dubious connection its the one i was told many years before the Internet was invented when i posed this same question.

Answer 6

I can't stand the stuff apart from in ash.

We up north call it Corn Dog, sp I wonder how that came about

Answer 7

1943!

Answer 8

, IT,S NORMALLYIT WAS A CHEAP WAY OF PACKAGING THE MEAT FOR LONG TERM STORAGE,IVE,EATEN PERFECTLY GOOD CORNED BEEF FROM 1943 ,IT,S NORMALLY BRISKET PICKLED OR CURED IN BRINE,YUM YUM VERY TASTY IN A BUTTY WITH HP.

Answer 9

What a corny question!!