Cast-Iron Corned Beef Hash with Runny Eggs
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Chapter 4: Quick Dinners That Make My Heart Sing (Weeknight Triumphs)
There is an undeniable, unpretentious magic that happens when salty, tender corned beef collides with crispy, buttery potatoes in a smoking-hot cast-iron skillet. Born of 19th-century Irish immigrants making do with the kosher briskets of their Lower East Side neighbors, this is the ultimate working-class triumph. This weeknight iteration skips the all-day boil, leaning on thick-cut deli beef so you don't have to wait for a holiday to eat well. It is straightforward, deeply comforting, and entirely transformative once those runny egg yolks break and bleed into the smoky, caramelized crust.
Before you start
Dice the potatoes and beef uniformly.
Half-inch cubes ensure everything cooks at the same rate and gets equal time against the hot cast iron.
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold potatoes unpeeled and diced into uniform half-inch cubes1 ½ lbs.
- thick-cut cooked corned beef chopped into half-inch cubes1 lb.
- olive oil or vegetable oil2 tbsp.
- unsalted butter divided3 tbsp.
- medium yellow onion finely diced1
- small green or red bell pepper finely diced1
- garlic cloves minced3
- Worcestershire sauce1 tsp.
- smoked paprika½ tsp.
- freshly cracked black pepper½ tsp.
- kosher saltto taste
- large eggs4
- fresh parsley or scallions chopped2 tbsp.
Method
- 01
Par-cook the potatoes to build the foundation.
Boil the diced potatoes in salted water for 5 to 7 minutes until barely fork-tender, then drain and pat them bone dry to ensure a proper crust later.
- 02
Sweat the aromatics in a hot cast-iron skillet.
Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat, then sauté the onion and bell pepper until soft, tossing in the garlic at the very end.
- 03
Build the hash with the remaining butter, potatoes, and beef.
Melt the last 2 tablespoons of butter, then fold in the dry potatoes, cubed beef, Worcestershire, paprika, and black pepper until everything is slick and coated.
- 04
Smash the mixture flat and leave it completely alone.
Press the hash firmly into an even layer with a spatula and let it cook undisturbed for 4 to 6 minutes so a deep, golden crust can form.
- 05
Flip in large sections to crisp the other side.
Slide your spatula underneath, flip the crispy bits to the top, press it down again, and let it sear for another 4 to 5 minutes.
- 06
Nestle the eggs into the crust and steam.
Make four small wells in the hash, crack an egg into each, cover the skillet, and cook just until the whites set but the yolks still jiggle.
- 07
Garnish and serve it straight from the metal.
Hit it with the fresh herbs and bring the skillet directly to the table alongside buttered rye toast.
Notes
Use frozen potatoes for an effortless shortcut.
Swap the fresh potatoes for 24 ounces of frozen diced hash browns. Skip the boiling and add them straight to the skillet, giving them a few extra minutes to thaw and crisp.
Manage the salt.
Corned beef is inherently salty, so rely on unsalted butter and do not add extra salt until you've tasted the nearly finished hash.
From The Irish American Table.