Q: Why does corned beef come in that uniquely shaped tin which is impossible to open when the key is missing (as it often is)?
A: My father is something of a corned beef connoisseur, and consequently, whenever I go abroad, I am always on the lookout for new and exciting brands for him to try. I have collected samples from many countries in Europe, Oceania and the Americas. The tapering rectangular tin-with-key variety seems to be fairly ubiquitous. However, I did come across a local Papuan brand which came in a larger version of the more familiar flat cylindrical tin, typical of salmon or tuna.
Unlike salmon, which is best enjoyed in flakes, corned beef is best chilled so that it can be removed from the tin in one piece and then be sliced for sandwiches. However, opening the cylindrical Papuan tin with a standard tin-opener makes extracting the product whole almost impossible.
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Even removing both the top and bottom of the Papuan tin left a rim which gouged the meat when pushed through, resulting in a far messier procedure than that facilitated by the rectangular tin. The key on a rectangular tin peels away a precut strip, separating the top and bottom of the tin and leaving an opening with no rims which allows the product to slide out whole and unscathed.
The best tins place the removable strip close to the base, and taper towards the top. Squeezing the base near the peeled strip grips the product, and the taper allows the top of the tin to slide away quite easily, leaving the delectable morsel exposed on the merest scrap of remaining tin.
Argentinian corned beef, the clear winner for taste and consistency according to my father, also comes with the most firmly attached keys.
A: This is a good example of a design that is not fail-safe. If you have the key, the tapered tin allows the meat to be extracted more easily, but if the key is missing, you have a problem unless the tin has a rim which will engage with a standard tin-opener. The solution is to save a few keys. However, the strip of tin which remains on the key after use must be unwound very carefully because it has sharp edges.