The Corned Beef Irish Thing
Sorcha Hyland is never afraid to speak up for clarification of things Irish in the KC region, and she’s quoted extensively in the Lawrence Journal-World. Seems, much like the Hoffenpurpenburgers don’t eat purple peppers, that Sorcha never tasted Corned Beef until she moved to the US:
Corned beef is not something Irish people eat, the Lawrence resident says. It’s cooked there mainly for tourists. I tasted my first corned beef when I came here.
The article theorizes a bit about the Corned Beef without actually mentioning the origin of the dish.
It’s fairly well documented that Irish immigrants in New York in the late 1800s were introduced to Corned Beef by the Jewish Community, taking to it as a cheaper and available substitute for the actual dish of Irish Bacon consumed back in Ireland.
Oh, and Sorcha doesn’t drink Green Beer.
The article also has recipes for Irish Stew, Colcannon, Soda Bread, and Nettle Soup
UPDATE: I’ve elaborated at some length on the “Corned Beef & Cabbage” thing. That’s a post that points to a comment which traces the history of Corned Beef in Ireland as well as discussing the Irishness of the meal of “Corned Beef & Cabbage”.
See Also:
• Eating Turkey in America and Ireland
• Irish Woman Struggles With Tea in Lawrence, KS
• Is Ireland Really Green, Potato-Eating, and Red-Haired ?
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
I find the statement that corned beef is cooked in Ireland for tourists curious, as in two trips to Ireland as a tourist, I have not ever encountered corned beef. Of course, that does at least fit with the main point.
I’m trusting Sorcha is pretty tuned in to tourism - she certainly sounds it when you hear her talk. Myself, I had a feeling I’ve seen a small number of signs for Corned Beef in some tourist traps in Ireland, but I’m not certain - I’ll pay more attention over the next few months.
Either way, as you say, the main point holds.
I stumbled across this amusing forum while googling sausages but am intrigued by the comments on the Irish and Corned Beef. Growing up in Ireland this was a regular treat in our home in the 50’s and 60’s. It was what is called ’salt beef’ and I believe in the states it has a Jewish association. It is the same thing though and consists usually of ’silverside’ beef which has been soaked in brine. I worked part time in a local butchers for a while and there was a large brine bath where the rolled beef would be soaked for quite a while. The origin of the quite inferior tinned corned beef comes from this practice. Every so often we would drain and clean the bath(about as large as two domestic tubs)The many scraps of beef at the bottom would be placed into a long square sectioned tin with pressure screws at the ends. These would be tightened and the can boiled. The resulting beef would then be available to be sliced as required once it had been remove from its casing.
Philip - Thanks very much for for that. Yes, your experiences fit in with the much longer comments regarding Corned Beef that were elaborated on after this post. See them HERE. I’ll point from there to your comment for the background to the tinned corned beef.
It was as ‘Silverside’ that I would mostly have asked for Corned Beef from our local butchers.