Ginisang Corned Beef
(gee-nee-SANG corned beef)
Almusal: The Morning Silog & Weekend Breakfasts
There is an undeniable alchemy in the Filipino kitchen that turns a wartime military ration into something you crave fiercely on a Saturday morning. Ginisang Corned Beef is exactly that—a masterclass in resourcefulness and the magic of the slow sauté. The secret your grandmother knew is twofold: buy the good, chunky, imported stuff from the Asian market, and give the potatoes the respect of frying them first. Cooked until crisp before the beef even hits the pan, they survive the rich, rendering fat to become the perfect counterpoint to the savory meat. Spooned over a mound of garlic rice with a runny yolk bleeding into it, this is the undisputed king of the breakfast table.
Before you start
Microwave the potatoes for a quick weeknight shortcut.
If you are crunched for time, you can par-cook the diced potatoes in the microwave for 2 minutes before tossing them into the hot oil to rapidly achieve a crispy exterior and fluffy interior.
Ingredients
- neutral cooking oil2 tbsp
- Russet or Yukon Gold potato1 large
- garlic4 cloves
- yellow or red onion1 med
- premium chunky canned corned beef12 oz
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- fish sauce1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Fry the potatoes until deeply crispy.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced potatoes in a single layer and fry them, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden brown and fork-tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes to a plate, leaving the hot oil behind.
- 02
Build the aromatic ginisa base.
Lower the heat to medium and add the minced garlic to the residual oil, frying for just 30 to 45 seconds until golden and deeply fragrant. Immediately add the chopped onion, cooking until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes.
- 03
Render and crisp the corned beef.
Drop the canned corned beef into the skillet, using a wooden spoon to break the meat apart into its natural, chunky strands. Let it cook undisturbed for a minute or two so the fat renders and the edges begin to crisp and caramelize.
- 04
Combine the ingredients and cook until sizzling.
Return the crispy potatoes to the skillet, folding them into the beef and aromatics. Season with freshly ground black pepper and the fish sauce, letting the mixture cook dry for another 2 minutes until everything is married together and sizzling.
- 05
Serve hot over rice.
Pull the skillet from the heat and serve right away alongside steaming garlic fried rice and a sunny-side-up egg.
Notes
Do not use standard American corned beef hash.
Mainstream US supermarket brands are heavily processed with potato meal and will disintegrate into mush during the sauté. Seek out Philippine or Australasian brands like Purefoods, Palm, or Ox & Palm at your local Asian grocer for the requisite chunky texture.
From Cook Filipino in America.