"national corned beef hash day" news and stories

Happy National Corned Beef Hash Day!

Sure, it may not be the finished product, but one can't help but admire the promise of this corned beef-to-be slab of meat, evenly peppered with bay leaves, mustard seeds, peppercorns, star anise, coriander and cloves. Popular in colonial America, corned beef was once primarily an easy and cost-friendly way to preserve meat, but today it's still a popular treatment to infuse the meat with added flavor -- in fact, in some preparations, the brine actually pumps through the arterial system. Wrote blogger Rachel from Coconut&Lime of her prepared brisket (pictured above), "It was melt-in-your-mouth tender and had the most perfect straight-from-the-deli flavor."

Although she kept her corned beef center stage, doing little more than slicing and nestling it into sandwich bread, corned beef has been traditionally paired with potato hash, with recipes dating back to 1884. For an updated but classic rendition of the recipe, check out Alton Brown's Corned Beef Hash -- and be aware of the 10-day preparation waiting time!

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I've had corn beef exactly one time in my life, about 20 years ago. I was over a good friend's house and his wife made it, and I thought I was going to be sick. Nothing wrong with the way that she made it, I just don't like corned beef (which I quickly discovered that night). The entire meal was a chore, trying to smile and talk while I'm chewing the corned beef a thousand times, afraid to swallow.

But don't let that story ruin your celebration of National Corned Beef Hash Day! Maybe you can try this recipe from About.com, or perhaps this one from HillbillyHousewife.com. Or just visit the Hormel site and buy some of the stuff in the cans.

I'll be celebrating the day by having pizza or chicken or something.