need some North American advice s.v.p.

I received a " review" on a recipe that is actually a question (the poster has no Zaarmail access since they are not PM member)...

.. I will reply to her via Zaarmail and give Florida Wanda a link to this thread ( edited to add, opps ..tried and can't 'cos she's not accepting zaarmail).. and I can't leave a review on my own recipe...

My question is: I would love to give her/him an answer but am unfamiliar with the product that they are talking about so need some help please from someone who knows better than I do ...

Corned beef / Silverside as I know it is a cut of meat that has been brined and especially prepared already by the butcher and I buy it as a lump of meat ready to boil... mine has no seasoning packet of any sort, so I don't know if what Florida Wanda is refering to IS indeed the same cut of meat what I know and love....

here is Wanda's question.. she hails from FL USA so am hoping that someone from the other side of the ditch can lend a hand here and to avoid that any advice I give Wanda doesn't accidently turn out to be totally wrong advice because I'm not fully understanding the meat she has in front of her...

Best Corned Beef/ Silverside on the Planet. (#151187)

Reviewer: Florida Wanda
Rating: 0 stars
Comments: The only "corned beef" I ever find has the separate seasoning spices and is brined somehow. Is that ok to use and omit the seasoning packet and proceed with the ingredients listed here? I am excited to try this next week for St pats = wwhich is also our Jack Russell's B-day. Thanks a million. I guess you could post your answer as a review.

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/reviews?rid=151187&sort=t

any help would be greatly appreciated because I know that this recipe involves a largish piece of meat so the last thing I want to happen is for me to give the wrong advice and the result be an expensive dinner disaster for FW !

.. and because I know that zaarfolks are brilliant at helping with things like this !

I'm not familiar with the term silverside, but other than the fact that corned beef in the US is treated with something in the corning process that turns it bright red, I wouldn't imagine it would be any different from corned beef as you know it. Beef brisket that is basically soaked in salt water and spices for several days (I do mine for a week or so if I corn my own at home), and as I mentioned, in the US commercially corned beef is also treated with something that turns it screaming red for some unknown reason.

Corned beef in the US comes with a small packet of spices you're supposed to use when you boil it. She can absolutely skip using that packet (I do anyway...it doesn't contain enough spices to flavour more than maybe a pound of meat as it is) and use the things you list in your recipe. At any rate, it's not required you use anything included with the meat, especially when using a recipe that utilizes other spices.

Hope that helps.

perhaps I can help

in the States it is called corned beef; here in Australia it is called silverside

you can purchase silverside that is low sodium and not in brine, but it is not as nice as the one that is already pickled for you

hope that helps a little

it does have a different taste but when in Rome, do what the romans do

the recipe listed should be fine as long as it is in brine; the flavour pack listed would be optional; don't think would make a difference one way or another...if was me...would opt for the butcher, in the absence of that, would use the flavour packet too...can't hurt

when in doubt, get the meat from the butcher as always tastes the best



no use me yearning for corned beef here if they simply do not have it

In the states we have corned beef (brined & pre-seasoned) or plain ol' beef brisket (not brined & seasoned).

She can toss out the seasoning packet, and follow your recipe recommendations.

Ok, there are two things going on here. In the U.S. corned beef is made from the brisket on a cow. The brisket is located by the front legs (breast) area. Silverside comes from the hindquarter of a cow, just above the leg cut. It gets its name because of the "silverwall" on the side of the cut. This is a long fibrous "skin" which has to be removed for it is too tough to eat. Its like the membrane on ribs. Sliverside is normally used in Australia and Ireland. And as stated in the U.S. some briskets come with a spice packet, which I never use.

The seasoning packet that comes with the "red" corned beef they sell in the US contains some of the seasonings used to corn the beef brisket: mustard seed, celery seed, bay leaves, peppercorns, etc. I can remember years ago going crazy looking for packages with the seasoning packet so my St Paddy's wouldn't be ruined. Now I know how to cook and corn my own, yum!

I'll just chime in as I am right now sitting down to review a recipe that I had a similar issue with for dinner tonight.

(Yes, I'm making my corned beef early but only because I wanted to feature a new recipe in this month's food column I write for a local newspaper.)

I live in the Western US & tonight I made Corned Beef With Homemade Glaze and it calls for "seasoned corned beef" but in the directions it doesn't tell me if I should use the added seasoning packet or not.

The recipe was really, really good. But after tasting the seasoned meat with the glaze I suspect I should have tossed out the seasoning packet instead. The meat would have been plenty flavorful with the lemon pepper seasoning called for & the delicious honey/orange glaze. The seasoning packet tried to overpower the glaze.

I'll be sure to consider the other ingredients called for in the future if I branch out from my traditional Irish meal again.

*Tink

ETA: Ummm... I just looked at your recipe. I just may be making another corned beef next week!

And now I'll add too that after tonight's experience I would leave out the seasoning packet ours are packed with because of the wonderful flavors you are using in your recipe. I wouldn't want anything to compete with your flavors.

Just for clarification, I believe the packet is additional pickling spices. Is it not?

Some brands come with the packet and some w/o because the spices are surrounding the brisket.