Last night’s recipe came (via Weird Recipe Finds) from 1967. It’s chock-full of scary goodness!
1 No. 303 can (17 oz.) DEL MONTE (R) Brand Cream Style Corn [say that five times fast]
2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/3 cup DEL MONTE Fresh Cucumber Pickle Chips
2 Tbsp. pickle liquid
And this was where I got an educational surprise (it’s really amazing just how much you learn trying these idiotic recipes)… I learned that I burst out laughing every time I read the words “pickle liquid.” No idea why. Even my four-year-old didn’t find “pickle liquid” to be particularly funny, so obviously I’m extremely immature.
I didn’t use DEL MONTE Creamed Corn, I used Publix Creamed Corn. (Side note: Publix Greenwise canned corn is perhaps the best canned corn I have ever tasted. The creamed corn version isn’t really my favorite, but still far more palatable than I expected from canned creamed corn.) Aside from foiling the clever marketing strategy of insisting (in ALL CAPS) that only DEL MONTE will do, you really, really can’t screw this one up unless you’re trying.
Heat DEL MONTE Cream Style Corn to a simmer. Add the rest of the ingredients.
What’s funniest is that I actually managed to mess this up — by initially buying regular canned corn instead of creamed canned corn. Culinary disaster was narrowly averted by Buzz gallantly returning to the store to buy the appropriate style of corn.
It was duly heated to a simmer and then put into a bowl. I wasn’t about to buy a freakin’ Savoy cabbage just for a picture, so you instead get to enjoy it nestled in some bananas. For fun.
(I realized after uploading that this placement makes my devilish corn sauce look like hellish banana pudding.)
But who cares about appearance — how did it taste?
Actually, quite good. Mustard, horseradish, and pickles all go well with beef, and combining them gives a zesty boost to a brisket. The creamed corn keeps things from getting too salty/spicy, and also gives it a decent consistency. The bits of corn, however, are a little weird — and the pickle slices are REALLY weird. Using pickle relish instead would probably be advisable, or even leaving them out altogether.
And just imagine how much better it would have been if I’d actually used DEL MONTE!
Retro Recipe Attempts 
It really wasn’t half bad. However, I was raised on my mother’s/grandmother’s/great-grandmother’s corn beef recipe, which was cooked in a horseradish mustard sauce, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the creamed corn was supposed to contribute here. The mustard and horseradish really complement the beef’s flavor. The pickles were barely noticeable, except when I bit through a big chip. And the corn just seemed to be there to add volume.
I must admit that I don’t really care for things thickened with creamed corn. I don’t know why; it’s not a matter of flavor, but rather something psychological. It’s rather like the taste aversion I have to smoked turkey. There’s nothing I dislike about eating it, but somehow it’s just unappetizing.
By: Buzz on September 4, 2008
at 9:53 am
My throat is closing up just looking at the pix. Sorry. I’ll have to pass.
Hey, did you know that pickle juice is often served to runners and cyclists at competitive events?
By: Dirtsister on September 4, 2008
at 10:25 am
This one looks delicious. Thank you!
By: Pasquale Piedrahita on May 9, 2010
at 12:27 pm