Happy St. Patrick's Day! (v.2)

Q: What is corned beef?

A: The real question here is: "How do you corn something?" We've got a pretty good grasp of the beef concept, but the "corning" process is mysterious. According to the Department of Agriculture, "The name comes from Anglo-Saxon times before refrigeration. In those days, the meat was dry-cured in coarse 'corns' of salt. Pellets of salt, some the size of kernels of corn, were rubbed into the beef to keep it from spoiling and to preserve it." So there you have it. Take the bust of a cow (i.e. the ribs and chest meat), smack it up, flip it, rub it down, and soak for about four days. Voila, corned beef.