Golden oldies are on the rise again, with retro dishes like corned beef finding its way onto restaurant menus and into home kitchens alike. Searches for corned beef are up 67 percent on delicious. last year and it’s on the rise again this year. So why is everyone going crazy for corned beef?

Many of us have childhood memories of lurid slices of rose-coloured meat, doused in white sauce and boiled peas rolling around on our plates. Maybe a sprig of curly parsley if your mum was feeling fancy. For some, this sounds like a nostalgic heaven, however we’re also seeing a whole new generation of homecooks looking to the past to inspire their future dinners. 

Factors driving this trend, naturally, are a craving for the cosy comfort dishes we gravitate towards during the cooler months, as well as the need to seek out dishes that will generously feed our families as we tighten our proverbial belts. 

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Where a typical Sunday roast five years ago might look like a rack of lamb or a loin of pork, an increase in demand for corned beef has turned back the hands of time and taken some trendy twists with it. Corned beef is now prepared in a bath of complex spices and transformed into unrecognisable hash; amateur pitmasters are crafting backyard brisket and brining slabs of silverside; and chefs are turning away from expensive prime cuts of beef and toward more sustainable and creative preserves. Corned beef is well and truly back.

The extreme makeover from the boiled salty meat simmering on your nana’s stove and into a craft in its own right is stark. Reuben sandwiches and New York-style bagels piled high with brisket and pastrami have become commonplace, while a handful of artisan butchers hold their preserved cuts of beef as a point of pride.

Marcus Papadopoulo of Marrickville’s Whole Beast Butchery, a butcher selling ethically sourced, dry-aged meats, has seen the interest in well-made corned beef rise, first hand. 

“Brined meat is the delicatessen’s best friend, and bread’s favourite filling. In recent times, it’s great to see a spotlight on this traditional form of smallgoods with the recognition and emergence of artisanal meat production,” says Papadopoulo.

Another expert witness to the rising trend is Anthony Puharich of boutique butcher, Victor Churchill. Just like many of us, Puharich has many memories of a childhood spent eating the increasingly cool corned beef, telling delicious., “From my point of view, I came from a very blue collar background, corned beef was always part of my upbringing. I never understood why people didn’t feel proud of buying corned beef. For me, corned beef is amazing because it doesn’t matter whether it’s brisket or scotch fillet, the quality of beef in Australia is better than it’s ever been.”

As Puharich has seen, corned beef has evolved from the daggy old stopgap to a champion in its own right. “Another reason people are buying corned beef is because we bougie it up! Corned beef has never been the sexiest product, but we’re making it out of wagyu from Rangers Valley beef, it’s cool now.

“I’m not surprised to see interest increase. You can’t escape the realities of the cost of living, and we’re turning that time to year anyway when people are putting the covers on their barbecues. But corned beef is one of those things that ticks all the boxes for affordability and it’s just as satisfying to eat as a prime cut.”

Make sure you check out Puharich’s completely delicious guide to cooking corned beef. You won’t regret it.

Back at Whole Beast Butchery, Papadopoulo has noticed a shift toward these old-school products in the restaurants he supplies as well. “Brined meats are rooted in preservation, but championed by artistry. Those in hospitality who want their food to be a reflection of themselves choose to use work with products that are a reflection of those who made it from scratch.”

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