WHAT IS CORNED BEEF? Corned beef is a type of cured meat made from beef brisket that is brined in a salt solution. It gets its name from the large grain salt used to cure it called “corns.” Early Irish immigrants in the USA often lived near Jewish settlements and would purchase their briskets from their butchers and then brine it to make corned beef. In the USA, people often associate corned beef with St. Patrick’s day because Irish immigrants would cook the brisket with cabbage and potatoes, which reminded them of similar dishes from Ireland.