My sainted Irish mother Florence (Donnelly) Polito always made gray-brown corned beef. I didn't know it could be pink until a childhood friend invited me to dinner on St. Patrick's Day and his Mom served the pink. I actually thought it was undercooked meat until she explained. Some research revealed to me that gray-brown is the exception and a Boston area preference. So what makes the difference in color? It's nitrates. Sodium nitrate or saltpeter are added into the salty brine. They preserve the meat and give it the pinkish color. Click below to vote in the poll, but before you do, remember, the Irish didn't eat corned beef or go to the pub on Saint Patrick's Day. Pubs were closed on the national holiday and the traditional meal was lamb. That all changed when Irish-Americans returned in large numbers to the land of their ancestors. Thanks to tourism, you'll find open pubs, corned beef and cabbage, and large parades on Saint Patrick's Day in Ireland.
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