The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. For the canned product known as corned beef in the United Kingdom, West Indies, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, see Bully beef. Corned beef, or salt beef in some of alton brown beef jerky Commonwealth of Nations, is salt-cured brisket of beef. Most recipes include nitrates, which convert the natural myoglobin in beef to nitrosomyoglobin, giving it a pink color.
Corned beef was a popular meal throughout numerous wars, including World War I and World War II, during which fresh meat was rationed. It also remains popular worldwide as an ingredient in a variety of regional dishes and as a common part in modern field rations of various armed forces around the world. Although the exact origin of corned beef is unknown, it most likely came about when people began preserving meat through salt-curing. Evidence of its legacy is apparent in numerous cultures, including ancient Europe and the Middle East. Although the practice of curing beef was found locally in many cultures, the industrial production of corned beef started in the British Industrial Revolution. Irish corned beef was used and traded extensively from the 17th century to the mid-19th century for British civilian consumption and as provisions for the British naval fleets and North American armies due to its nonperishable nature. Ireland produced a significant amount of the corned beef in the Atlantic trade from local cattle and salt imported from the Iberian Peninsula and southwestern France.