Corned Beef, Cabbage vs. Reuben - Multipurpose?

Question

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!

Answer 1

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.