Let’s Hash It Out: Corned Beef Hash at Its Best

Are you a lover of the corned beef hash found on every diner menu throughout the country?  That salty, crisp, rib-sticking mélange of potatoes, onions and corned beef?  Even if it came out of a can (and I think most of it does) there’s something indulgent  and satisfying about it.  Some diners purport to make their own which may or may not be better.  It all depends on the quality of ingredients and the technique of putting them together.

Since we have access to the finest NYC Jewish deli corned beef, my husband decided to make his own corned beef hash.  He cubed Yukon Gold potatoes by hand, diced the sweet pepper and onions, added the perfect seasonings and cooked everything in the right order and amount of time. And, voila!  The best version I’ve ever tasted.  I mean, if you’re not going to go for the gold, why bother?  Just open up a can.

Ingredients

1 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T sweet butter

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into a small dice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/16 t smoked paprika

1/3 cup chopped onions

1/3 cup sweet red pepper cut into a small dice

¼ t sweet paprika

½ lb. corned beef cut into a ½-inch dice

8 fried eggs with runny yolks

Procedure

1.  Heat oil and butter in a non-stick skillet.  Sauté potatoes turning frequently. You can cover briefly to steam potatoes. Add salt, black pepper and smoked paprika.

2. When potatoes begin to brown and are partially cooked through, add onions, sweet pepper and sweet paprika, again turning frequently, until caramelized.

3. Add corned beef and turn until hash is hot and crispy.

4. While hash is finishing, fry eggs.

5. Divide hash among 4 plates topping each with two fried eggs.

6. Ask if your breakfast partners agree that this is better than the canned stuff.  If they don’t, hash it out.

Photos by Michael Kirigin