Good evening, all. Quick, specific question here (something too esoteric for most cooking sites I checked):
I have ~2.25lb of Corned Beef Brisket (Point Cut)", fresh & vacuum-sealed with spices and all that. I bought it with the intention of making Reuben sandwiches (R's) for my waifu and I… But then simultaneously bought a head of cabbage, thinking "Ah, Easter; corned beef & cabbage (CB&C)!" Aaaaand they have sat in the fridge, since I cannot figure out if I can do both.
My lack of culinary initiative aside, I am trying to determine:
- Is the "Corned Beef" used in CB&C the same as used in R's?
- Is the above a matter of preparation (i.e. my plans to slow-cooker it would be perfect for CB&C but bad for R's?)
- If no to the above, can it be made so?
To further complicate things, I purchased a can of the very same substance ("Corned Beef"); is that useful for either CB&C, R's, or both (or neither; I'm not sure it's not just glorified SPAM)?
Anyway, thanks for reading my overly-complicated question. Any help would be appreciated!
Best Answer
Canned corned beef is sort of Spam, but with different meat and flavoring. It's also more like hash, and doesn't always cleanly slice the same way Spam does. I definitely wouldn't put it on a Reuben sandwich, but it could work with cabbage. (Not great with cabbage, but that's an opinion issue -- I'm not a big fan of canned meat in general.)
In contrast, a cooked corned beef brisket can be used either in Reuben sandwiches or on a plate of corned beef & cabbage. The only particular difference is the thickness of the slices. In a sandwich, one generally wants thin-sliced meat that is easier to bite through. Thicker slices work well next to cabbage, when eating the dish with a knife and fork.