Probably every Hawaii family is familiar with Canned Corned Beef and Cabbage. We keep canned corned beef on hand as part of our hurricane emergency kit, a must in tropical regions where a risk of hurricanes hitting means you must have 2 weeks’ worth of food and water stored at your home as a precaution. Thus, this is the first meal my family makes when using up this canned meat before the best by date.
What makes this recipe so great?
Canned corned beef is already flavorful with its salt, sugar, and sodium nitrite. You don’t really need to do much with it since it is pre-cooked and flavored, making it quicker to put dinner on the table. For some oomph, you can get some natural sweetness and umami flavor from a sweet onion instead of a yellow onion. Cook the onion first for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the corned
beef and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. You’ll have softened onions that are just starting to caramelize. If you cook the corned beef first, the salt from the corned beef will cause the onion to give off a lot of water and it won’t caramelize as well.
The softened stir-fried cabbage in this dish makes it a one-pot meal, which many families love. (Less dishes!) Softer vegetables can also be more palatable to picky eaters, depending on what they are picky about.
Favorite canned corned beef
Most of us in Hawaii grew up with the Libby’s brand of canned corned beef. It’s just so fun to open with its key and tab system and helpful to have around if your can opener breaks. The texture of the meat is also finely ground so it is great for people who have difficulty chewing or are learning how to chew. While the price has gone up to $4.50 a can when you get it on sale, it is still a great canned protein choice for those who need canned foods to fit their budget or their lifestyle needs
Canned corned beef benefits
The high protein content and texture of the meat is what wins me over to keep this in my pantry. Picky eaters who don’t like the texture of meat often enjoy the softness of canned corned beef. Since you can’t feed your kids sausage, hot dogs, and meatballs all the time, this canned meat provides a nice contrast to the variety of foods eaten.
Canned corned beef can be made into patties or fritters. For a wonderful crunchy texture, you can fry it in a cast iron skillet until the meat turns into crispy salty bits that are reminiscent of bacon bits! The crispy corned beef can be used just like bacon bits on salads or eaten on top of a bowl of rice and your favorite steamed vegetable. It is very versatile and, if not eaten while you are stuck in a hurricane without electricity, can be integrated into a healthy diet without food waste.
Looking for more beef recipes that aren’t from a can? Explore these meaty recipes for your next meal.
Canned Corned Beef and Cabbage
Equipment
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 4-quart stainless steel pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ sweet onion sliced
- 1 12-ounce can corned beef
- ½ large cabbage chopped (about 1 ½ pounds)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce optional
Instructions
- Heat the pan on medium high heat. Add the olive oil and onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until they start to caramelize and turn brown.
- Add the corned beef and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through and crispy bits start to form.
- Add the cabbage and cook until soft, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the food is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a little bit of water to create steam to help loosen the food from the pan then scrape the food off the pan.
- Optional: If you’re not using a sweet, add 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce when the cabbage is cooked halfway through and stir well.
- Serve on top of white rice or with a side of potatoes.
