Quick-Crisp Corned Beef Hash with Jalapeño Beer Bread Toast
English
Chapter 5: The Modern Irish American Pantry (Trader Joe's Hacks)
Corned beef hash is the ultimate symbol of Irish American survival and ingenuity—a glorious collision of immigrant resourcefulness and the kosher butcher shops of nineteenth-century New York. This isn't some fussy, artisanal project; it is deeply comforting diner food adapted for the exhausted modern cook, leaning hard on a few brilliant shortcuts from Trader Joe’s. You skip the soul-crushing prep work, but you do not skip the patience. Smash it into a hot cast-iron skillet, leave it the hell alone until it builds a shattering, golden crust, and serve it alongside a fat, butter-drenched slice of jalapeño-spiked beer bread.
Before you start
Chill the brisket overnight.
Working with cold leftover corned beef is structurally superior because the solidified fats crisp beautifully in the pan rather than disintegrating into mush.
Bring the beer to room temperature.
A cold beer can shock the leavening agents in the bread mix, so let the stout sit out for an hour before baking.
Ingredients
- Trader Joes Beer Bread Mix1 box
- stout or amber ale12 oz room temperature
- Trader Joes Unexpected Cheddar7 oz grated
- Trader Joes Hot and Sweet Jalapenos1/2 cup roughly chopped
- unsalted butter4 tablespoons melted
- olive oil2 tablespoons
- Trader Joes frozen Roasted Potatoes with Peppers and Onions24 oz bag
- leftover cooked Trader Joes Uncured Corned Beef Brisket1 lb chilled and cubed
- Worcestershire sauce1 tablespoon
- freshly ground black pepperto taste
- fresh parsleyfor garnish
- large eggs4 optional
Method
- 01
Mix the jalapeño beer bread.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Gently mix the beer bread mix with the stout until a shaggy dough forms, taking care not to overwork it, and fold in three-quarters of the cheddar and the jalapeños.
- 02
Bake to a golden crunch.
Spread the batter into the pan, scatter the remaining cheese over the top, and pour the melted butter evenly across the surface. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, then cool, slice, and toast in a dry skillet before serving.
- 03
Render the corned beef.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Toss in the chilled, cubed corned beef and let it sizzle for three to four minutes until the fat renders and the edges crisp.
- 04
Introduce the vegetables.
Dump the frozen potatoes, peppers, and onions directly into the skillet, drizzle with Worcestershire sauce, hit it with black pepper, and toss to combine.
- 05
Press the hash and wait.
Spread the hash evenly and press it down hard with a flat spatula. Lower the heat to medium and walk away, leaving it entirely undisturbed for five to seven minutes so the Maillard reaction can work its magic.
- 06
Flip and repeat.
Once a dark, sturdy crust forms on the bottom, flip the hash in large sections and press it down hard again. Let it go undisturbed for another five minutes, repeating until the whole mess is shatteringly crisp.
- 07
Garnish and serve.
Hit the hash with fresh parsley and serve immediately alongside the toasted beer bread, topped with a runny egg if you know what is good for you.
Notes
The cardinal rule of hash is to leave it alone.
Do not stir the pan. Constant agitation ruins the browning process, so you must let the heat do the hard work of building that necessary, shattering crust.
Respect the leftovers.
Never microwave leftover hash unless you enjoy soggy sadness. Re-crisp it in a hot skillet with a little oil or butter.
Utilize the air fryer if necessary.
If you lack a cast-iron skillet, toss the beef and potatoes with oil and air fry at 375°F for ten minutes, shake vigorously, then crank the heat to 400°F and blast for five more minutes.
From The Irish American Table.