Corned beef is a St. Patrick’s Day staple, especially to the Irish-Americans who made their way to coastal Georgia and celebrate it with fervor each year.
It's traditionally enjoyed all throughout green season leading up to the holiday. Corned beef is basically a brined piece of beef brisket. The name historically comes from the treatment of the meat with large-grained salt (called "corns" of salt). Sugar and spices are added to the brine to give the beef its distinct flavor.
Locals like it with cabbage, on a Reuben sandwich, or chopped with potatoes in a hearty hash. While there are a few restaurants around town that feature corned beef on their menus, there’s arguably only one place in town—if not the entirety of Southeast Georgia—where you can get fresh, housemade corned beef, and that’s Ogeechee Meat Market.
Perched on Highway 17 not far from the Walmart, Ogeechee Meat Market has been vending fresh meats to the local community for more than two decades. The market is family-owned and operated, delivering all-natural meats and locally-sourced products to its customers.
With St. Patrick’s Day fast approaching, the Ogeechee Meat Market team has been busy preparing its coveted corned beef, which they’ve been offering for about five years now. They decided to start offering corned beef because of St. Paddy’s popularity here in Savannah.
“We had been looking for things for locals to be able to celebrate a traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal, and one of the first things you think of is corned beef brisket,” said Matthew McClune, the market’s general manager.
It took him a few years to settle on the perfect recipe for their corned beef, but now they offer a simple, yet flavorful recipe that keeps customers flocking to the market this time of year.
“We start with a whole traditional packer brisket. Usually they weigh about 15 pounds. We trim it up and then we cut it into a more traditional roast size. Then we brine that . . . for about a week. The brine is a sea salt base . . . [with] a little bit of brown sugar, and then we have a pickling spice. The pickling spice has mustard seed, peppercorns, bay leaf, cinnamon and clove,” McClune explained.
The family gets their sea salt and pickling spice from Savannah-based Spices Etc., further adding to the localness of their recipe. Once the brining process begins, it takes about four to five days for the beef to get its distinctive pink color. Their corned beef is made from Black Angus Choice or USDA Prime, resulting in a high-quality, flavorful product they say customers love.
“Ours is lower sodium than the mass-produced corned beef because we don’t add a bunch of additives and preservatives into it. We just use the natural sea as our cure,” he added.
Last year was the first time the market offered corned beef again after a COVID hiatus, and McClure said they sold out several times.
“Last year, we sold about four or five cases, and the cases are usually about 60 to 80 pounds depending on who we bought them from. We’re hoping to do a little better this year,” McClune said.
Though March is obviously peak season for their corned beef, it is available for pre-order year-round. McClune encourages the public to shop for their corned beef and other meats at Ogeechee Meat Market.
“All of our meat is all natural. There’s no additives, no preservatives, no solution added. So our meat is fresher and it’s cut on hand. There are very few establishments in Savannah and in the country that still cut by hand anymore. Everything usually comes pre-cut from a different location. So, we can special cut, and we can custom cut,” he expressed.
Ogeechee Meat Market also purchases high quality grades of meat, ensuring freshness and flavor. They’ve been working with their suppliers for years and are committed to consistency and quality. Beyond the excellent product, Ogeechee Meat Market is known for excellent service.
“We have the number one service of any grocery store in the area. . . When you walk in the door, someone greets you. We’ll see what you want and get it all gathered up for you. You don’t have to touch anything in the store . . . if you don’t want to . We’re old-school full-service,” he commented. “We are a mom and pop organization. Mom and Dad are here everyday. It’s not unusual to see them out on the floor helping people.”
The McClure's say they plan to expand Ogeechee Meat Market into a larger space soon, but in the meantime, they welcome the public to shop their little spot on Hwy 17.
For more information, visit ogeecheemeatmarket.com/.
