Slinging Hash Corned Beef Hash Has A Bad Reputation, But It Can Be Heavenly With The Right Ingredients
So, what are you going to do with all that leftover corned beef from your St. Patrick’s Day celebration?
You could whip up a batch of Reuben bread pudding (we’re not making this up — it’s a real recipe). You could dress it up in a corned beef quiche.
Or, with very little effort, you could turn it into THE classic diner dish: corned beef hash.
“It’s one of the simplest recipes in the world, probably devised by someone who wanted to get rid of some leftovers,” said Jerry Schrader, who slings his hash at the Cannon Street Grill in Browne’s Addition.
Folks who wrinkle their noses at the mere thought of meat mingling with potatoes have probably only tried the stuff that comes out of a can.
The secret of a heavenly hash is to start with quality ingredients.
“You’ve got to use good corned beef and trim all the fat,” said Tim O’Doherty, owner of O’Doherty’s Irish Grille. “It should be slow-cooked until it’s fork-tender.”
At Luna, chef Brian Hutchins gooses up his already-brined brisket with additional pickling seasonings.
“We add mustard seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, clove and bay leaf,” he said. “Then, we cover it with water and bake it slowly overnight.”
The South Hill eatery features a glamorous version of corned beef hash on its Sunday brunch menu.
“We use baby red potatoes, crimini mushrooms and red onions, then finish it with a brown sauce,” Hutchins said. That makes it really more of a saute than a true hash.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Schrader said the ultimate hash is achieved by doing exactly what the name implies.
“A hash is a hash,” he said.
“You’ve got to thoroughly marry those flavors together by chopping everything up together. Take your knives and go crazy. You could do that in a Cuisinart, if you pulsed it.”
O’Doherty said his mother married her hash ingredients together - for better or worse - by running them through a meat grinder. “I personally find that disgusting,” he said.
Once the meat, potatoes and onions are diced fine, the mixture goes into a fairly hot nonstick skillet. Then, you do some more chopping.
“Every time I turn it, I chop it a little bit more,” Schrader said.
What you fry it in is a matter of personal preference. Some recipes call for butter, others for olive oil. Schrader said he uses as little fat as possible because the mixture tends to soak it up like a sponge.
Keeping the grease to a minimum also makes for a crispier, more golden hash.
“You want it to get a nice crusty brown,” said Schrader, who has customers regularly requesting their hash “well done.”
Purists might cringe, but you can also pretty up your hash by adding a chopped beet (they call that red flannel hash), or give it some tang by tossing in a bit of sauerkraut.
And the perfect finishing touch for a pile of hash?
An egg, of course. Poached, preferably.
“I’ve done eggs all ways,” said Schrader. “I’ve done over easy, scrambled, half and half with one egg fried and one poached.”
At Luna, poached eggs are perched on the jumble of meat and potatoes, while salsa is heaped on top.
“It’s nice when the yolk from the eggs runs into the sauce, giving it that yolky character,” Hutchins said.
Now, about that leftover St. Paddy’s Day cabbage …, well, that’s another story.
Luna Corned Beef Hash
This classy version includes such unconventional touches as garlic, red onions and a sauce spiked with brandy.
4 tablespoons butter, divided use
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup warm beef stock
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 cup diced red onions
1/2 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1-1/2 cups baby red potatoes, boiled until barely tender and sliced
1/2 cup chopped cooked corned beef
Salt and pepper to taste
2 poached eggs, for garnish
Pico de Gallo (salsa):
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onions, diced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno pepper, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
To prepare the sauce, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saute pan. Add flour and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Slowly add warmed stock, whisking constantly. Simmer mixture 20 minutes; strain to remove any lumps and keep warm.
While sauce is simmering, combine all salsa ingredients, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Saute shallots in 1 tablespoon butter until lightly browned. Add the brandy and simmer for 1 minute. Add to sauce.
For the hash, saute the onions, mushrooms and garlic in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until onions are translucent. Add sliced potatoes and stir to combine.
Add the corned beef and then the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with poached eggs and the salsa.
Yield: 2 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 597 calories, 41 grams fat (62 percent fat calories), 21 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrate, 305 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams dietary fiber, 1,369 milligrams sodium.
Red Flannel Hash With Dilled Sour Cream
From Bon Appetit magazine, September 1999.
3/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
9 ounces cooked corned beef, thickly sliced
1 cup canned beets, drained and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Mix sour cream and dill in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to serve. (Can be made up to 2 days in advance.)
Steam potatoes until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to large bowl; chill until cold, about 15 minutes. Mix in corned beef, beets and onions. Working in batches, using on/off turns, coarsely chop mixture in food processor. Return mixture to the same bowl. Add egg; toss to mix.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add corned beef mixture; cook until bottom is brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking until brown and crisp on both sides, flattening with spatula. Transfer to plates and top with dilled sour cream.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Nutrition information per each of 6 servings: 314 calories, 22 grams fat (63 percent fat calories), 12 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate, 97 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams dietary fiber, 642 milligrams sodium.