The history of eating corned beef and cabbage on St. Patricks Day

Corned Beef and Cabbage as a traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal, although quite Irish in nature, developed within the Irish culture that immigrated to the United States more than out of the history of Ireland. Some experts on Irish cuisine claim that Corned Beef is almost a forgotten flavor in Ireland in spite of its Irish roots. However, Ireland was once the world’s leading exporter in corned, brined, or salted beef. Cork City or County Cork, Ireland was at one time the “provisioning port” for ships crossing the Atlantic as well as those trading from England and France.

To preserve meat without refrigeration, corns of salt, pepper, and other spices are placed in a container along with water, beef, pork, or other meat, creating a curing solution. This solution is anti-bacterial and anti-microbial due to the nature of the salt and the spices. This meat can then be stored over a period of time for later use. The corning or curing process was common practice in pre-refrigerant cultures, including Ireland, long before Irish immigrants headed to the American Continent.

The practice of eating Corned Beef and Cabbage as a St. Patrick’s Day holiday meal is more Irish-American than Irish-Isle. Do not be mistaken. Corned Beef and Cabbage is a traditional Irish meal. However, it was the Irish-American immigrants who turned into a St. Patrick’s Day tradition, not the residents of the Emerald Isle.

Prior to the invention of refrigeration, meat was preserved by curing it in salt and various other herbs or spices. A “Korn” or “corn” is a small grain or seed of anything. It comes from the Germanic word “Kurnam” meaning “grain.” Course salt granules used in the meat preserving process became known as “corns” of salt.

It is fabled that the Irish, largely Roman Catholic, thanks to the missionary efforts of St. Patrick, would cure meats through the winter to be utilized in the spring to break the Lenten fast. During Lent, the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter, Catholics give up meat as part of their spiritual recommitment to God. Corning, or salt-curing, meat was not uniquely a Catholic practice. However, it was the only way any culture had for preserving meat.

Corned Beef is traditionally a salt-cured brisket, although it can be any cut of beef. It is packed in heavy layers of salt corns or in brine, a solution of salt corns and water until it is ready for cooking. Recipes vary but most cooks wash and then boil the brisket for several hours, adding seasoning to suit