This Is How Canned Corned Beef Is Really Made

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Many know corned beef as the protein served alongside cabbage during St. Patrick's Day celebrations. With this traditional dish, freshly cooked beef brisket is served in slices. In the past, this brisket would be preserved using "corns" of large salt, per the University of Minnesota Extension, which is how corned beef got its name. Today, we have refrigerators, so this salt preservation method is less necessary. However, to make long-lasting canned corned beef, steps are taken to extend its shelf life.

The beginnings of canned corned beef production have been traced to the 1800s. At that time, countries were experimenting with ways to feed their soldiers (via the Sarasota Herald-Tribune). They found success with tinned beef. This ration was convenient because it was full of protein, wouldn't spoil for long periods, and could be eaten straight from the can (via Food Timeline). Canned corned beef was referred by its British nickname, "bully beef," inspired by the fact that it's boiled before canning. Thanks to these trailblazers, boiling remains part of modern-day canned corned beef production.

However unappetizing some people may find it, canned corned beef is a regular staple in many households. You can find popular brands like Libby's, Hereford, or Hormel at your local grocery stores. But even though this food has a centuries-long history, people may not know what goes into producing it. To find out how canned corned beef is really made, read on.

The type of meat is one of the ways that canned corned beef distinguishes itself from the fresh stuff. The cut of beef chosen for the tinned product isn't the same as what you'd buy at a deli counter. While both canned and non-canned corned beef come from cows, they use different parts of the animal. As Science Direct explains, traditional corned beef uses a cut called brisket. This meat comes from the cow's chest area. But canned corned beef isn't always made from brisket.

According to EHow, this is because tough, lean cuts of meat — such as round steaks, chuck roasts, or ribs — work best for canning. Per Very Meaty, canning meat also requires that as much fat as possible is removed. If too much fat is left in, it can cause multiple issues. As Healthy Canning explains, excess fat in canned meat can cause problems with rancidity, sealing, and heat penetration. This is why canned corned beef makers may not select fattier, more expensive cuts of beef (like brisket) for their choice of meat.

When making canned corned beef, a few different routes can be taken. In one method, the meat is uncured and uncooked before canning (via ScienceDirect). More commonly, it's precooked and cured before going through the canning process. Delighted Cooking attests that this is the case with most canned corned beef products.

This method is sometimes called "hot packing" in the canning community, per Wild Heaven Farms. While most consider beef safe to be canned raw — also known as "raw packing" — hot packing has its benefits. For one, hot packing can ensure that meat will keep its shape. This also prevents it from sticking to the sides of the can. You can see why this would be preferable for canned corned beef. Once it comes out of the can, it's preferable that canned corned beef stays formed into a solid block, which enables it to be sliced or diced for eating. Cooking canned meat first helps to make it into a ready-to-eat final product.

Canned corn beef falls under the category of processed meats in two different ways. Since it's a type of canned meat, as opposed to fresh meat, it's considered processed meat (via PBS). As Meat Science explains, processed meat can also refer to cuts that are cured or smoked, such as sliced ham, Canadian bacon, pastrami, and others. But because canned corned beef is also refined into smaller pieces during production, it's considered processed by that definition.

The meat within a can of corned beef may start in larger pieces, but after cooking and salting, its shape starts to change. During this stage of the production process, canned corned beef must be minced or ground up, before getting packed and shaped within cans. For this reason, it qualifies as a type of restructured meat. This is defined as meat "made from flaked, ground or sec­tioned beef or pork, which is shaped into roasts, steaks or loaves" (via Meat Science). No matter what method is used to break down the canned corned beef, it must also be chopped up to become a new, cohesive shape.

When fresh corned beef — not the stuff from the can — is being made, a few spices are usually added. Seasonings like black pepper, coriander, allspice, dill seeds, and mustard seeds are used to flavor the meat, giving dishes such as corned beef and cabbage its flavorful taste. Per Spice Rally, other seasonings used may include bay leaves, crushed red pepper flakes, or fennel seeds. However, none of these spices are usually employed in making canned corned beef.

The ingredients listed on the cans of Hereford or Palm canned corned beef are absent of extra spices. Instead, the only seasonings listed are salt and sugar. After the meat is cooked, salt is added. Then, it begins to act as a preservative. At the same time that salt draws water out — a key trick to preventing the meat from spoiling — salt helps to concentrate the flavor of the beef (via The Seattle Times). Sugar is added to aid in the preservation process as well as cancel out some of the taste from all the sodium, according to Meat Science. In the end, these delicate flavor additions don't overpower the basic meat flavor coming from canned corned beef.

After the corned beef is packed into cans, another step is sometimes employed. Factories may then choose to sterilize the meat-filled cans. As Britannica explains, these sterilization processes usually involve bringing the cans to a certain temperature to prevent bacteria such as C. botulinum (which creates botulism) from forming. For heating methods of sterilization, corned beef cans should be brought above boiling temperature, which is 212 degrees Fahrenheit. During this process, containers of canned corned beef are placed inside a pressure cooker, then covered in hot steam, allowing both the food and its container to be sterilized simultaneously (via ScienceDirect).

In this video showcasing the process of canning meat, a similar method is employed. During sterilization, cans of meat are heated in a huge pressure cooker. Not only does this process sterilize the meat inside, but also tenderizes it in a short amount of time. After the cans are finished sterilizing, they'll be removed from the pressure cooker, then set aside to dry off and cool down.

The production process of canned corned beef ensures that it is ready to eat right away. It's not necessary to cook the meat before eating it. Unfortunately, you may find that just getting the can open comes with unique challenges. Square cans of corned beef must be opened with a key. Luckily, this key comes attached to each individual can.

Following the instructions carefully will best ensure your can gets opened using this unique key method. Per Instructables, remove the key and find where a small metal tab protrudes from the side of the can. Next, place the tab through a hole in the long part of the key. Finally, rotate the key around the side of the can, bringing the tab with it (via HomeCookWorld). This will create a cut in the can's side that runs along the entire edge. When you're finished, the entire top of the can should be removed, exposing part of the inner brick of the meat.

If eating the meat out of the can with a fork isn't for you, there are plenty of recipes available. The website Yummy recommends staying light on the salt when doing so. Some ways to eat canned corned beef include corned beef hash with eggs, a canned corned beef quiche, or egg rolls filled with canned corned beef.