Making a Hash of It
Our New England ancestors lived in a world in which wasting food was a serious thing – potentially endangering a family’s food supply – and therefore was carefully avoided. Necessity is the mother of ...
The great thing about hash is its versatility, and a recipe can be adjusted for serving size and varied ingredients. While corned beef is traditional, try pork or fish, or ditch the meat altogether and supplement potatoes with turnips, parsnips, and carrots. Homemade pickled beets add acid and a pungent kick.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
- ½ pound cooked corned beef
- 2 cups cooked potatoes
- 1 cup cooked beets
- 1 medium onion, diced
- Salt, pepper, and nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons bacon fat or butter
Instructions
Dice corned beef into small pieces. Chop or dice potatoes, beets, and onions, then combine with beef in a bowl. Mix well to distribute the beets’ red color. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Heat bacon fat in a large skillet or frying pan until foaming. Add mixture, pat down, and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. When the mixture begins to brown, turn slowly and cook evenly for another 10-15 minutes on medium-high heat, until mixture is evenly browned. (If mixture is very finely diced and mixed, you can also cook until it has a crispy or crusty texture.)
Serve with freshly chopped herbs, sprinkled goat cheese, catsup, or left-over gravy. You can also scramble or fry some eggs and toss them on top. As Miss Beecher wrote, “Modify to suit your taste, and then write the proportions exactly for all future cooks of your family.” After all, the leftovers aren't the only thing worth saving.
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