Corned Beef Hash

Oh, how I love this meal. Good, old-fashioned, stick-to-the-ribs food. Great for breakfast (toss a few fried eggs on top!), lunch or dinner. It's really easy to make and always a big crowd pleaser.

When I make corned beef for dinner, I always cook up more than I need for the meal so that I have plenty left over to make this hash the next day. And it doesn't have to be corned beef...this recipe works just as well for any kind of leftover beef or pork....heck, I've even made turkey hash with Thanksgiving Day leftovers. If the meat you use is lean, add a little extra fat to the recipe in the form of extra butter or olive oil.

You can make this recipe super simple if you buy Simply Potatoes Diced Potatoes (see picture at bottom of this page). They come in 20 ounce bags and they are set to go...just open up a couple of bags and fry 'em up. If you are going to dice your own, you'll need 40 ounces of potatoes...about 4 large russet potatoes.

This recipe serves six to eight people. I recommend cooking it up in a giant cast iron skillet (http://terrygruggen.blogspot.com/2011/12/weapon-of-choice-cast-iron-pan.html). If you have leftovers, just nuke 'em in the microwave...no need to re-fry them. And while this meal certainly pairs up well with Zinfandel, I would strongly recommend downing it with a nice, crisp bottle of Pilsner beer that you've cooled in a vat of ice. Yum!

Ingredients

16 ounces diced, cooked corned beef (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

2 bags Simply Potatoes Diced Potatoes (40 ounces total)

1 large onion, diced

1 large red pepper, diced (core and seeds removed)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

1. Melt butter in a very large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add diced onion and red pepper. Cook until soft (about 6-8 minutes).
3. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the potatoes and stir. Using the back of the spatula, gently pack the potatoes into the pan and cook, undisturbed for 3 minutes.
5. Flip the hash, lightly repack it into the pan and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Repeat the flipping process several times until the potatoes are well browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Add the corned beef, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Stir and then repack the hash into the pan. Cook for 3 minutes.
7. Flip the hash, lightly repack it into the pan and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Repeat the flipping process several times until the corned beef is hot, about 6 to 9 minutes.
8. Divide among serving plates and serve.

Pairing: I recommend an ice cold Pilsner lager. If you would rather have wine, choose a nice, fruity Zinfandel.