St. Patrick’s Day is the celebration of Ireland’s patron saint. As a result, everybody feels a bit Irish on March 17th. People wear green, drink green beer, listen to Irish drinking songs and eat lots of Irish food. One of the most common Irish foods made during this season is corned beef hash. This corned beef hash recipe, which comes from the Simple Recipes website is a basic recipe that can be altered in many ways. There are many ways you can serve this tasty dish.
Ingredients
- Three tablespoons unsalted butter
- One medium onion
- Three cups corned beef
- Three cups of potatoes
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parsley
Directions
Start by finely chopping the onions, corned beef, potatoes and parsley. Place your butter in a large frying pan. Turn on the heat and add your onions. Star the onions on medium heat until they are translucent. While the pan is still hot, add the corned beef and the potatoes and cook them on high heat. Make sure to spread the potatoes and beef evenly in the pan.
Press the mixture down with a metal spatula but don’t stir or mix the mixture. Flip it over once it has browned and brown the other side in the same manner. Once the corned beef hash is brown, add your parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Stir it in so that it blends fully with the mixture. Serve to four to six people, depending on the appetites of the guests.
Serving Suggestions
Corned beef hash is a great breakfast meal. It is rich in protein and carbohydrates, which are vital to creating long lasting, sustainable energy for the body. Fry or poach two eggs per guest and serve a glass of milk to round out the meal.
Corned beef hash is also a great meal for supper time. Boil some cabbage and serve it with the corned beef hash. Boiled cabbage is another staple of the traditional Irish diet. It is also traditionally served on St. Patrick’s Day. Place some green food coloring in glasses of beer and serve it to all adult guests. This helps create a very Irish feel for the meal.
Leftovers
Another great use of corned beef hash is for leftovers. Much like turkey at Thanksgiving, corned beef hash warms up well and makes a great meal for days after it’s made. Warm it up on a microwave safe plate for one minute or until its warm. It can be served as is or with leftover cabbage or freshly cooked eggs.
Corned beef hash also goes great on bread as a sandwich. Eat it dry on the bread or add a little ketchup or mustard to flavor. Tabasco sauce also goes well on corned beef hash. Only add a little bit, as too much sauce can detract and overpower the favor of the corned beef hash. A few teaspoons should be more than enough for most people.
Variations
There are many ways to vary the original corned beef hash recipe. Add sausage and add some Tabasco sauce while the hash is browning to give it a spicy and meatier flavor. Adding leaks or green onions can also increase the spiciness. Add the cabbage to the mixture while it is cooking. This will brown the cabbage and add thickness to the mixture that makes it more filling in small servings.
Another simple variation includes mixing in cheese while it is cooking. The type of cheese depends on the preference of the cooks and the people eating the hash. Mixing several cheeses adds many different flavors. Don’t add too much cheese as this can cause the hash to become overwhelmed by the cheese flavor. The melted cheese can also cause the mixture to become sticky and hard to handle.
Conclusion
Corned beef hash is a diverse dish that is perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day meal. However, corned beef doesn’t have to be limited to this special day. In fact, it makes a great meal on any day of the year. Its basic combination of meat, potatoes, onions and cabbage is filling and healthy if eaten in small servings. It saves well and can be eaten for a week after it has been cooked, making it perfect for penny pinching families. However, it definitely tastes best on March 17th with some green beer and Irish cheer.
Eric Benac - I hold an MA in Writing from Northern Michigan University in Marquette as well as a Bachelor's in English from the same institution as ...
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