Although its focus has mainly been on wine distribution, the management of Philippine Wine Merchants (PWM) grabbed the opportunity to sell a food product as well.
It turned out to be a good decision because that product, an Australian brand of corned beef, has been flying off the shelves lately.
Ox and Palm corned beef is available in almost all supermarkets in Metro Manila and in some provinces. The brand even has its own distribution vans.
“We’ve always been interested in corned beef,” says Raymond Lim Joseph, PWM director of sales and marketing. The company turned more enthusiastic upon founding out that Ox and Palm is manufactured by the reputable H. J. Heinz (which recently merged with Kraft).
“We like Ox and Palm because it has no extenders and no MSG,” Joseph points out. “In fact the round cans have only four ingredients.”
In addition, the beef comes from grass-fed Angus cattle raised in Wagga Wagga, a city in New South Wales known for its stunning gardens and greenery. The cattle in Australia are also certified to be free from the dreaded mad cow and foot-and-mouth diseases, says Paul Lennon of KraftHeinz, who was in Manila recently.
Although I’m not a corned beef aficionado, I like to indulge in it occasionally. And with Halloween coming, I’ve concocted this recipe using corned beef to feed our expected guests and trick-or-treaters.
Easy to make and serve, these make great poppers and can be served as snacks or appetizers. The honey mustard dip makes them more special.
Corned Beef Poppers
1 326-g can or two 200-g cans Ox and Palm corned beef
1/2 c finely chopped onions
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic cloves
1 egg
¾ c all-purpose flour
¾ c Japanese bread crumbs
2-3 c cooking oil
Cocktail toothpicks
Honey Mustard Sauce:
¼ c mayonnaise
2 tbsp prepared mustard or Dijon mustard
¼ c honey
Flake the corned beef, then combine with the onions and garlic. Whisk the egg and add to the corned beef mixture. Mix all ingredients well.
Roll the mixture into one-inch balls. Dredge each ball with flour then roll in the bread crumbs.
Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan. Drop the corned beef balls into the hot oil and cook until brown. You may have
to do this in batches. Transfer
to a plate lined with absorbent paper.
Let cool then stick colorful cocktail toothpicks on the poppers. Serve with honey mustard sauce or with your favorite barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce or sweet and sour sauce. Makes about 20 poppers.
For the honey mustard sauce: Blend mayonnaise, mustard and honey in a bowl until smooth. Serve as a dip.