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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!

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  • Looking at some recipes for each, I would say different preparation. Which recipe(s) did you look at? Mar 28, 2016 at 10:54

1 Answer 1

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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.

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  • Thanks for the response! (Canned) - As it was prophecied. I figured it wouldn't be ideal. Still, I'm sure it'll taste fine fried with some eggs or hash or whatever. (Brisket) - Ah, wonderful. I can work out the slice issue, but I'm curious as to the answer to the 2nd question (sorry if unclear): "In what way should I prepare the Brisket so as best to use it for both" (corollary: "is there a "preferred" method of preparation for either recipe that would make it less usable for the alternative")?
    – Khyrberos
    Mar 28, 2016 at 11:43
  • Any corned beef brisket method should work -- your slow cooker plan, or simmering on the stovetop in a pot. This question might be a useful read: cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/13198/…
    – Erica
    Mar 28, 2016 at 12:49
  • Just note that a Reuben is made with sauerkraut, which is cabbage, it's not something you are likely to make any time soon as sauerkraut is a fermented pickle. Buy a small bag of sauerkraut for your Reuben sandwich. :-)
    – Escoce
    Mar 28, 2016 at 15:44

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