Servings: 6 Prep: 15 min Cook: 25 mins Total: 40 mins
Corned Beef Hash is sort of a weird one, for me. I grew up on this stuff, but … not in a good way, exactly. My mother would buy cans of it, pop the cans, plop out the cylindrically shaped meat-n-potato blobs and fry them up for dinner! I remember hating it, as a kid, even though I think I might have secretly loved it. I’m not totally clear on my childhood feelings of the stuff, even though I do remember that they were strongly held!
My father, I believe, DID love the stuff! Someone, somewhere liked to fry it up, then fry and egg and slide that on top of the fried meat-n-potato pile and eat it. I also have fairly strong memories of that! … but am not entirely certain that it was my father.
Point being, I was introduced to Corned Beef Hash, with a fried egg, at a VERY young age. Something about canned meat and the sound it makes as it jiggles out of the can … just makes my bones quiver.
THIS stuff, on the other hand … PURE UNADULTERATED AWESOME!
When I was younger, I worked at a grocery store deli. We sold Boar’s Head meats and cheeses. The guys that would come in, check for freshness, train us, etc. were just top notch people. Even the truck they used to deliver the meats in were fun, interesting and a big part of that Boar’s Head experience. I KNEW that if I went to a deli selling Boar’s Head that I could get some nice thick slices, straight from the slicer! I stepped up to the counter and asked for one and a half pounds of 1st Cut Cooked Corned Beef Brisket, cut into 1/2-inch slices. I took that home and cut perfect little cubes out of it.
I then did the same with a mixture of carrots, bell pepper, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic and herbs! I fried the veggies up with the corned beef, slapped a fried egg on it and yelled, “Breakfast!” at no one in particular.
DELICIOUS!
Corned Beef Hash
Print RateIngredients
- 1/4 cup butter divided
- 2 tbsp higher temperature fat (like olive oil or bacon fat/lard)
- 1/2 lb peeled sweet potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 large carrots cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 small yellow bell peppers seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 1/2 lbs corned beef cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 medium onion cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 4 each garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme chopped
- 2 tsp fresh oregano chopped
- 6 large whole fresh eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat a large sauté pan over high heat. I like a mixture of bacon fat and butter, but you can also use olive oil and butter, or just plain olive oil. You'll need about 1-1/2 tbsp of each, for a total of about 3 tablespoons of cooking fat. Add your cooking fat, swirl it around the pan and immediately add the sweet potatoes and carrots. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Toss them around and turn the heat down to medium-low. Let them cook on one side for about 5 minutes.
- After gaining a little caramelization from the pan, toss them again and add the bell peppers and corned beef, with a little bit of salt and pepper. Toss everything together and allow the pan to sit still for about 5 minutes, while the ingredients cook and pick up a little more caramelization.
- After 5 more minutes, taste a carrot. If it's still crunchy, cook for another 5 minutes. However, if it's starting to soften up (but not totally soft), add your onions and garlic with a bit of salt and pepper. Toss together and let for a further 5 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Finally, add the herbs to the mixture and toss together. Taste, adjust seasoning and then set aside, covered and warm, while you fry the eggs.
- Pre-heat two very large non-stick pans (with lids) over medium heat. While the pan is heating, break 6 fresh eggs into 6 individual containers (like teacups, small plates, etc). Each egg should be broken into its own vessel.
- Test the temperature of the pans by adding a drop of water. If it sizzles, the pan is warm enough.
- Add final half tablespoon of fat (butter, bacon fat, and/or olive oil) to each pan and swirl to coat the bottom, evenly. Quickly and gently pour each egg into each of the 3 "corners" of each pan, while dropping the temperature of the stove to a very low setting. The eggs MAY touch one another, but are easily cut apart.
- Season the eggs with a small amount of salt and pepper. Place a lid on the pans, so that the eggs have heat trapped above them, slowly cooking the yolk, as well.
- When the eggs are at a desired doneness (about 5 minutes), divide the corned beef hash between six plates and top each with an egg! Serve!
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Wow, this brings back memories of an old college housemate, who specialized in what we used to refer to as "Cylindrical Meals". It seemed that everything he ate came out of a can, and all his "cooking" involved heating things up. Needless to say, Hash was a frequent item on his menu. I will confess to having consumed the canned stuff a few (thankfully, very few) times, but it always made me feel like I was eating ALPO.
Bet yours is better.
Just wondering whether there is anything besides sweet potato that could be used with a lower carb count? Perhaps butternut squash, or jicima?
I’ve used turnips with really good results for potato substitute. I use it in soups, and especially for hash. Turns out great!
Hi Eric, sorry … somehow I missed your comment! Although … Sherry is right. Turnips would be one possible option. I’d also suggest cubed Kabocha Squash, if you’re able to find one. I think that would be very nice, as well! Rutabegas, too! Thanks for checking in, Sherry!
—Reply posted by Sandi` on 7/22/2018
When making Corned Beef Hash I use roasted radishes. Quarter them and roast in the oven. They are a great substitute for potatoes.
Hi…this looks delicious!! I’m new to all this, so have a question.. 🙂 everything I’ve been reading says olive oil should not be used for cooking as heat (especially high heat) changes it so it is not good for you at all…that to keep it nutritious it should be used without heating it…like salads, etc…have you heard of any of this? thanks!
Hi Unknown, it’s true! Especially first pressed extra virgin olive oils. They have a very low smoke point. This is actually a whole mess of a complicated subject, simply because most olive oil on the shelves … isn’t even really olive oil! So, the smoke point is higher than what you might read in a book. That said … it’s not the healthiest oil, either! I do a lot of cooking with bacon fat, frankly. In this case, I also do a blend of fats. The precise thought process, as written, was to use butter for flavor and bacon fat to increase the smoke point of the butter, making it harder to burn (butter burns at a low temperature). I also suggest adding the ingredients to the fat "quickly" before the oil has a chance to burn and denature. Once the ingredients are coated with the fat, the ingredients help keep the fat cooler than you might think. The reason I list olive oil is because I assume everyone has a bottle of it and it’s a simple solution, without the need to get into the whole topic of "what’s really IN that bottle, anyway?!?"
Thank you for responding!! 🙂 yes, from what I’ve been reading there is a lot of fraud going on with olive oil & it not really being olive oil in the bottle but something else…same thing with honey…lots of fraud going on with that, too.. 🙁 I love checking out your recipes & always save them to pinterest!! I look forward to seeing more of them!!
Hi there DJ. Have you ever made this with diced turnip in place of sweet potatoe?
Highest regards,
Geoff
aka chefgeoff
—Reply posted by DJ on 2/8/2015
Hi Geoff, I haven’t personally, but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work. It’ll obviously have a different flavor, but I don’t know that this would be a bad thing, if you enjoy turnips. Give it a shot! 🙂