Best and Worst Corned Beef Recipes

 You might believe that the only time you should consume canned corned beef is when you're living rough outside, or you should avoid it altogether. If not while camping, you've likely seen a can stashed at the back of a shelf somewhere, perhaps in Granny's pantry or even in a college dorm room, where it likely served as a bookend or was intended to keep you going after your meal points ran out.

At least canned corned beef has that. It may not be fancy, but it is wonderfully filling. However, this canned beef is not particularly meant for people who follow a low-fat or low-sodium diet (via Healthline). The fact that this canned mystery beef has 28% of the daily necessary protein intake and has everything a hiker or camper in the deep woods might possibly need to get through a long day is the main reason why most outdoor enthusiasts bring it in their equipment.

Best and Worst Corned Beef Recipes

Because of this, we've listed not just the worst ways to consume corned beef from a can, but also some of the best recently developed methods for enhancing this traditional canned dish.

The best: is that you're preparing it for breakfast.

Many people believe corned beef in a can to be a breakfast item. And because it's much more adaptable than you might imagine, this incredibly beefy meal has a ton of potential to be a game-changing breakfast experience. The salty, fatty richness of tinned corned beef can probably be added to or substituted for almost any savory morning meal.

For instance, if you enjoy morning tacos or burritos, simply fry up some canned corned beef to use as the protein alternative. If you must have a wonderful hearty omelet to start the day, think about adding some tinned meat, sautéed tomatoes, and feta or goat cheese to your subsequent egg wrap. The salt profile will be reduced by the tomatoes' acidity and the fromage's funk. How about a frittata or quiche with some canned corned beef? You might also prepare crescent rolls packed with tinned corned beef, scrambled eggs, and oozy cheese if you're heading to a brunch picnic (via Hormel).

Learn more:Best corned beef and cabbage recipe you can make 

Worst: consuming plain canned corned beef

If you haven't been eating as well as you'd like to, try not to be so hard on yourself. We should be happy every day, and self care is not a luxury; it is a necessity, if there is anything we have learnt from the past few years. So you're consuming canned, moldy meat. Then what? One of the worst things you can do is leave your corned beef completely unattended. Don't just be basic and uninteresting. Make your tinned food into something you actually want to consume. Let your kitchen's wonderful, savory aromas attract attention in a positive way.

It doesn't even need to be something significant. You might also add potatoes or fennel while sautéing some garlic or onions. Make a hearty supper fit for a lumberjack by frying some very crispy bacon. Your canned corned beef will substantially improve just by adding a few basic herbs. You can use flat leaf parsley that has been roughly chopped to give your food a hint of earthiness. Oregano will give your dish a wonderful little Italian flair, while thyme will give it a nice minty, citrus flavor. They can be fresh or dried herbs, but keep in mind that the flavor of dried herbs is more concentrated, so a little goes a long way.

Best: with an egg (or two)

Considerably more positive things occur in pairs. Consider the following tasty food pairings, for instance: cheese and crackers, shrimp and grits, peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, and of course, bacon and eggs. Make the corned beef and eggs from a can in this instance. The ideal way to consume this protein-rich breakfast meat is probably with a fried egg. Choose corned beef hash with an egg on top for the best results.

A fried egg's runny yolk functions as a creamy sauce and lessens the saltiness of the canned meat. For the same result, substitute a poached egg for the fried one if you're feeling fancy. The answer to your question is no, if you were to substitute a scrambled egg. Why? The feel of corned beef in a can is one thing. It can be either mushy and lifeless or, when correctly prepared, crispy and delectable. The texture of a scrambled egg is not particularly appealing. In fact, scrambled eggs will just add to the mushiness of an already soft dinner if your canned meat isn't crisped enough.

Worst : you only eat it for breakfast.

Don't categorize canned corned beef as something that should only be consumed for breakfast. You can actually have this for lunch and dinner as well. It's time to create your own canned corned beef custom and break free from the gelatinous meaty stereotype. Move away from the breakfast crowd and be huge and bold.

For recipes calling for ground protein, canned corned beef works nicely as a stand-in. Consider the Sloppy Joe, a beloved childhood treat that may have been the catalyst for the rise of the paper napkin (kidding). A Reuben sandwich can also be made with canned corned meat in place of pastrami or ordinary corned beef. Prior to layering everything together, make sure to crisp it up. You can definitely eat it straight from the can, but it won't taste the same as the fried version.

Everyone enjoys a good meatball, and Ready Set Eat, a culinary blog, claims that corned beef in a can makes excellent small meaty morsels. The only ingredients needed for the dish are ground beef, an egg, breadcrumbs, and your canned mystery meat. When you need party food but are pressed for time, make a quick dip by combining a can with sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, onion, and dill (via Taste of Home).

Best: is to use an air fryer.

The days of having to consume greasy canned corned beef for breakfast in an effort to crisp it up are long gone. Enter the air fryer, the cutting-edge corned beef preparation technique of the future. It's not true if it seems too wonderful to be true. Even while it's always great to dig out your cast iron skillet and whip up a breakfast that brings back fond camping memories, there are times when you don't want to deal with the extra ingredients needed for frying and the mess that results from it.

According to Calorie King, tinned corned beef has 56 grams of protein on its own, making it a fantastic source of protein. For those reasons, canned corned beef isn't the best option for a low-fat or low-sodium meal. One serving of Libby's canned corned beef, which is 1 cup, provides more than half of that daily guideline (nutritional data varies from brand to brand). The addition of extra oils or fats plays a role in crisping the meat combination. Therefore, by using your cutting-edge air fryer, you can make delightfully crisp corned beef without the need for additional fatty ingredients or excessive calories.

Worst: frying butter-covered corned meat from a can.

Although butter is scrumptious, it does have a place, a time, and a function. While butter works excellent for browning and sautéing, it might not be the optimal fat for a crisp. According to Masterclass, butter has a very low smoke point, or burning point, which increases the likelihood that your favorite breakfast may be burned. You must be sure to keep an eye on the pan and the flame at all times if you decide to crisp with this specific ingredient.

Another approach to increase your calorie and fat intake is to cook your canned corned beef in butter. And it's not actually necessary. The fat in canned corned beef has already been rendered and will aid in cooking. However, choose refined oils or oils with a high smoke point, such canola or vegetable oil, if you really feel the need to add something. Still clinging to the buttery taste? Then take a look at clarified butter or ghee, both of which function.

 Best : making it into appetizers

It would seem only natural to bring some miniature finger appetizers to a party, picnic, or other social event if you had recently been invited, to demonstrate your culinary skills and appreciation. In light of this, tinned corned beef is probably not at the top of your list of go-to foods for feeding the large party crowd. However, it doesn't follow that it couldn't or shouldn't be. If you can think outside the box, you can save time and money by purchasing this ingredient in bulk for a reasonably low price.

Always use your creativity. This is why it's such a clever idea to disguise tinned corned beef within a fried wonton wrapper. Why wouldn't a corned beef and cabbage egg roll work since everyone like them? It really is all about innovative cuisine fusion in the gourmet world of today. Use tinned corned beef, cheese, and taco seasoning as a filling for some handmade taquitos as an alternative to another popular finger meal. You'll undoubtedly be the party's life and soul.