I'm not quite prepared to re-acquaint myself with SPAM, as yet; that's a step too far!
However, I felt reasonably confident buying this small tin of Corned Beef, with the idea of seeing if it tasted anything like how I remember it from my childhood.
I was amused to see that the tin still has that bizarre key system for opening. It worked perfectly.
So, what exactly is Corned Beef? As far as I remember it is Beef Brisket cured in brine, before being coarsely minced and tinned. Most of the world's production comes from S America; Brazil in particular.
I was rather looking forward to tasting this strange old-fashioned product, and opened it for lunch when I returned from my shopping trip. Lady M turned-up her nose, and refused to taste it.
Personally I found it rather disappointing. It was ground finer than I remember, and didn't have much flavour. It wasn't at all as I remember it, but that could be on account of the maker. I don't think mother used to buy 'Princes'. I'm sure the one she bought had a picture of a bull on the label; Fray Bentos maybe?
Verdict: 3/10. I shan't buy it again
p.s. I had a small amount of Corned Beef left over in the fridge, and decided to have it fried for my next morning's breakfast, with one rasher of bacon, and a fried egg.
The Corned Beef was really awful and I had to chuck it.
Revised verdict: 0/10. Horrible. It made me think of dog food.
That corned beef looks way too fatty. I used to buy something similar to spam but much nicer but have not been able to get it for some time.
ReplyDeleteIt really was horrible. I didn't even give it to Billy.
DeleteDifferent shaped tin. Think you can still get Fray Bentos. That looks horrible. I used to have Spam with salad at my Grandma's on a Sunday. I've had it grilled too. I'm curious now....I shall keep a look out for some.
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to make Spam Fritters. Slices were dipped in batter and fried. A dash of vinegar, and they were delicious. I'm not sure what I'd make of them these days.
DeleteI remember Fray Bentos corned beef from my youth, didn't it come from Argentina? Haven't had it in many a year now, but still occasionally get the Fray Bentos steak & kidney pies.
ReplyDeleteAt the same times as buying the above, I also bought a Fray Bentos Steak-n-Kidney Pudding. A couple of mins in the Microwave and they're really quite nice. Lady M turns her nose up at them too.
DeleteI remember that in my childhood we still ate something similar to the one that my father kept from his service in the British Army.
ReplyDeleteI think soldiers, on active service, almost lived on it. It was an easy way to give them protein.
DeleteI used to like corned beef for tea on Sundays back in the dark ages of the 70s but couldn't face eating it nowadays.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I liked it as a child, but the above was horrible.
DeleteDid you know that Fray Bentos is a small city in Uruguay? Why would anybody name their city after tinned pies and a brand of corned beef?
ReplyDeleteThe New Zealanders named their capital city after a rubber boot.
DeleteCan't remember ever having either spam or corned beef as a child. After my father died, my mother used to occasionally make a few individual corned beef hash - just added finely sliced onions, seasoning and topped with mashed potato and freeze them. No idea which brand of corned beef she used, but they were quite tasty. Apparently my father had banned both spam and corned beef from the house, which is why I never ate it as a child!
ReplyDeleteYour father sounds like a wise man! They are both 'industrialised' meat products. It's far better to buy the real thing.
DeleteIt looks like dog food, too. No offense.
ReplyDeleteIt smelt like it too.
DeleteWe have a can or 2 in the stock cupboard. The contents look the same as yours. We eat ours mixed up with eggs. A sort of scramble. I find it a bit salty now but the taste is OK. The price has doubled in the last few years so it's not often I buy a tin.
ReplyDeleteThey're good for an emergency snack with wine or ouzo
Is yours the same make? Or did I just buy the worst make?
DeleteI think that you would find fresh corned beef on another level. My husband likes a corned beef roll for lunch sometimes and I buy M&S fresh corned beef. XXXX
ReplyDeleteA different product altogether.
DeleteI think the brand with the bull on the wrapper was Hereford brand.
ReplyDeleteI'm Canadian now but I was born and grew up in England. I often look at the Fray Bentos pies in the nearest "British" shop but I've never bought one as I imagined that the pastry would go soggy if heated in the microwave. We didn't have them very often but I remember them as being quite tasty with lovely gravy.
The pies have to be oven cooked, but the puddings go into the microwave. They are a good store-cupboard back-up.
DeleteI enjoy Fray Bentos corned beef (which, given that I not an enthusiastic meat eater is very odd) which I remember from my childhood. I think after the war it was relatively easy to buy.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that the version we ate as children was NOT this one above.
DeleteMy mum tells the story that as a child I told our next door neighbour that mum had given me cat food fo tea. It turned out that it was corned beef.
ReplyDeleteIt probably doubles as either human or cat food.
DeleteI occasionally buy corned beef, I have two cans of spam in the pantry, I like it, Sweet Bear finds the mere concept revolting. I wonder if the dog would have enjoyed it?
ReplyDeleteSpam or corned beef in a can can't be very good for your health and well being.
ReplyDeleteWhy not buy a corned beef brisket and cook a lovely meal. Lady M might approve as well.
It was simply an experiment. I wanted to see if it tasted anything like I remember from 70 years ago. It didn't. I shan't be buying it again.
DeleteI have tried Spam but would have to be desperately hungry to eat it again. I quite like corned beef in a hash with other flavours added.
ReplyDeleteIf they made a tiny tin of Spam I might buy one, but I refuse to buy a normal size tin. I'm sure I'd hate it.
DeleteI think Billy was the winner in this contest. :)
ReplyDeleteFrankly I don't think there were any winners, and I was down by about two quid.
Delete