The Lower East Side Skillet
Slamar mairteoil shaillte·(slah-mer mahr-tyol hall-tyeh)
The New York Crucible (Corned Beef and the Irish-American Synthesis)
If you want to know what the early 1900s Lower East Side smelled like, it's right here in this cast-iron pan. Fleeing famine, Irish immigrants traded their homeland pork for the cheap, salt-cured kosher brisket of their Eastern European Jewish neighbors, throwing it into a pan with cold potatoes to stretch Sunday's supper into Monday's survival. The secret to this dish isn't a spice blend—it's the absolute discipline to leave the hash alone until the hot iron and butter forge a perfect, caramelized crust.
Before you start
Parboil the diced potatoes.
Place the potatoes in a medium pot of cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer for exactly 5 minutes until barely fork-tender, then drain and rinse under cold water to halt the cooking.
Ingredients
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes1 1/2 lb
- cooked corned beef brisket1 lb
- yellow onion1 large
- unsalted butter4 tbsp
- fresh parsley1/4 cup
- Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- salt1/4 tsp
- cooked green cabbage1 cup
- large eggs4 large
Method
- 01
Sauté the aromatics in butter.
Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add the onion, and cook until translucent and just beginning to turn golden brown.
- 02
Combine the hash ingredients in the pan.
Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter to the skillet, then fold in the parboiled potatoes, cubed corned beef, shredded cabbage, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and salt.
- 03
Press the mixture into the skillet and walk away.
Use the back of a spatula to pack the hash into a flat, even layer across the entire pan, then leave it completely undisturbed for 6 to 8 minutes so the starches and rendered beef fat can caramelize.
- 04
Flip the hash to crisp the second side.
Once the bottom is a dark golden brown, use a wide spatula to flip the hash in large sections, press it down firmly again, and let it fry undisturbed for another 5 to 6 minutes.
- 05
Garnish and serve with eggs.
Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh parsley, then top each portion with a fried or poached egg so the yolk acts as a rich sauce that binds the crispy hash together.
Notes
Avoid deli-sliced meat at all costs.
For genuine texture, use thick chunks from a leftover homemade brisket, or ask your deli counter to cut a single, one-inch-thick slab that you can cube yourself.
Prep ahead to improve the crust.
Parboiling the potatoes and chopping the meat a day in advance allows the potatoes to dry out in the fridge, giving you an even more violent crisp when they hit the hot cast iron.
From Cook Irish-American Food.