Food Encyclopedia

corned beef

Beef (usually brisket, but also round) cured in a seasoned brine. Sometimes the brine is pumped through the arterial system. The term "corned" beef comes from the English use of the word corn, meaning any small particle (such as a grain of salt). Two types of corned beef are available, depending on the butcher and the region. Old-fashioned corned beef is grayish-pink in color and very salty; the newer style has less salt and is a bright rosy red. Much corned beef is now being made without nitrites, which are reputed to be carcinogenic.