Shows how much we've forgotten over the years. Thanks for explaining.
Back in the olden days, before we had electricity and chemical preservatives, you preserved meat by soaking in brine (water, salt, molasses, saltpeter) for several days. That keeps bacteria from growing, and preserves the meat for weeks, maybe even a month or two. Chunks of salt would permeate the meat, leading to the term "corned beef" - as the chunks of salt looked like grain. The old word for grain is ... "corn"!
If you wanted it to last a year or two,you took the salted meat, hung it in the smokehouse, built a small fire underneath, and slowly added wood chips to make a dense smoke. The smoke put creosote over the salted meat pieces, making an air tight "baggy". Ready to eat? Then peel off all the creosote, soak in water overnight, then you're ready to cook it.
Sturbridge visitors are always amazed at the process, and then realize country smoked ham should have the salt soaked out before eating.
"And now you know ... the rest of the story."