Tenement Corned Beef Hash with Fried Eggs
The Emigrant's Table: Diaspora Feasts and Gatherings
Stretch kosher brisket or deli-counter corned beef with potatoes boiled in leftover beef broth, pressing down with a metal spatula until the fat hisses. Fry it all in a cast-iron skillet until an ungodly crust forms—it demands nothing more than a hot pan and the discipline to leave it alone. Break a runny yolk over the hash and eat.
Before you start
Source thick-cut deli meat.
If you don't have leftover brisket from a holiday boil, go to the deli counter and ask for a single one-pound slab of their best cooked corned beef, sliced half an inch thick so it can be properly cubed.
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold potatoes1 1/2 lb
- beef broth2 cup
- unsalted butter2 tbsp
- neutral vegetable oil2 tbsp
- yellow onion1 large
- cooked corned beef1 lb
- garlic powder1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- eggs4 large
- fresh parsley1 handful
Method
- 01
Boil the potatoes in the beef broth.
Place the diced potatoes in a medium pot and cover with the broth, adding a splash of water if they aren't completely submerged. Simmer over medium-high heat for 7 to 8 minutes until barely fork-tender, then drain thoroughly and let them steam dry.
- 02
Sauté the onions.
Heat the butter and oil in a large, heavy cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once the butter foams, add the diced onions and cook for about 5 minutes until soft and golden at the edges.
- 03
Mix the hash components in the skillet.
Add the cubed corned beef, drained potatoes, garlic powder, and black pepper to the onions, folding gently until everything is evenly coated in the fat.
- 04
Press the hash flat and do not touch it.
Use the back of a spatula to pack the mixture into an even, tight layer across the pan. Walk away and let it cook entirely undisturbed for 6 to 8 minutes to form a dark, crispy crust.
- 05
Flip and recrust.
Once the bottom is deeply caramelized, gently flip the hash in large sections, press it flat again, and leave it alone for another 5 to 6 minutes.
- 06
Steam the eggs in the hash.
Lower the heat to medium-low and use the back of a spoon to press four deep wells into the hash. Crack an egg into each well, cover the skillet tightly, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks remain runny.
- 07
Garnish and serve immediately.
Remove from the heat, scatter with fresh parsley, and serve directly from the cast-iron pan with hot sauce or whole-grain mustard.
Notes
The secret is in the broth.
Boiling the raw potatoes in beef broth forces the starches to absorb the savory flavors from the inside out, replicating the complex taste of potatoes that sat in a Sunday roast pot all day.
Hold the salt.
Between the salt-cured beef and the savory broth, there is ample sodium in this dish. Rely on the ambient salt of the preserved meat to season the entire pan.
Respect the cast iron.
A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is mandatory. It maintains the steady, unrelenting heat required for the Maillard reaction, ensuring a proper crust without the hash turning to mush.
From Cook Irish-American Food.