My Grandmother (Grandma Toots) was a fabulous cook, as a farm wife it was out of necessity. I remember one of the many favorite things that she would make was hash from leftover potatoes and roast beef. I always loved watching her grind the potatoes and roast beef. She used a grinder that attached to her kitchen counter. In this case, I made Corned Beef Hash, which we love. I also love breakfast for dinner, which is always a treat. It is delicious and leaves the most wonderful taste in your mouth.
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
HASH RECIPE:
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered after they are boiled
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sea salt plus a pinch for potatoes
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup onion, cut into ½- inch cubes
2 cups cooked corned beef, cut into 1-inch cubes (Recipe below)
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
- In a medium size pot, cover the potatoes with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, uncover, reduce the heat, and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, until tender but firm. Rinse in cold water and slice into quarters or a little smaller, if your potatoes are large.
- In a small bowl, mix the salt, black pepper, paprika and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- In a large cast Iron skillet (12 inch), melt the butter together with seasoning mixture over high heat.
- When the butter starts to brown (see Hint), add the paprika, and the red pepper flakes will darken, add the onions. Stir to coat the onions, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion becomes brown.
- Add the potatoes and gently stir into the mixture. Put in corned beef cubes and stir. Cook for another minute, until the potatoes and beef are hot. Drizzle a little water into the pan where things may be sticking and scrape to deglaze.
- Put the skillet in the 500° F oven for 10 minutes to blend the flavors and make the hash a little crunchy. Keep an eye on it so it does not burn. Be careful taking it out of the oven, it will be very hot!
Serving: With a poached egg on top of the Corned Beef Hash.
Hint (browning butter): First the butter will foam in the pan; the milk solids are separating from the butter fat, and the water is evaporating. Then the foam subsides and the milk solids begin to brown. Now the butter gives off its characteristic nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn the butter or the nutty aroma will become bitter.
CORNED BEEF RECIPE:
You can buy it cooked if you want, but I cook my own. Cut it into cubes to have on hand for Corned Beef Hash. This recipe can also be used for Corn Beef and Cabbage and then use the leftover corned beef for Corned Beef Hash.
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours on low in Crock Pot
Note: If using for Corn Beef Hash recipe above, it makes about 4 cups of 1 inch cubes. It can be frozen to be used at a later date.
1 corned beef, 3 pounds
1 small shallot with its skin
2 whole cloves
1 garlic clove, smashed with the side of a knife
2 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into thirds
Set your Crock Pot on low or use a large heavy pot.
- Take the corned beef out of its wrap and discard the liquid. Place it in your crock pot or pot and add enough enough to cover it. Now take the beef out of the water and set it aside.
- Stick the cloves into the shallot. Add the garlic, the pepper corns, bay leaf and pieces of carrot to the water.
- Now put in the corn beef. Do not cut any of the fat off yet. Cook covered on low, for about 6 hours, until tender. Remove to a cutting board. If there is any fat you want to remove, do that now.
- If using for corn beef and cabbage, slices should be cut across the grain of the meat and be about ⅓ of an inch thick. It is really good with strong Dijon mustard.
- If you are using it for corned beef hash, allow to cool, cut the meat into 1-inch cubes.
RESOURCE LINKS:
Lodge 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet
Grandma Toots’ 1930 at sweet sixteen
Leave a Reply