~ The Lazy Lady's Homemade Corned Beef Hash ~

Who's the lazy lady?  At breakfast time, that would be me.  Here's the thing:  When you are the family cook, exemptions from morning detail are few and far between.  Everyone wakes up hungry -- babies, kids, adults, dogs, cats -- even goldfish.  The whole danged world wants to eat first thing in the morning, and, the last thing I want to do in the morning is cook.  That said, my conscience doesn't allow for slacking.  Instant oatmeal packets, pancake and waffle mixes, and, pop-in-the-toaster tarts of any type are frowned upon.  Exceptions are:  high-quality store-bought doughnuts and pastry.  Cooking morning fare to be proud of -- it's my culinary conundrum.

Over the years I've squirreled away a secret stash of made-from-scratch breakfast and brunch recipes that require minimal morning effort on my part -- the reality of life as the family cook is, nothing cooks itself, so, expendable available energy differs from cook to cook on any given morning.  For my family and friends, these recipes deliver maximum, uncompromising, yummy-in-the-tummy satisfaction to them.  Corned beef hash is one such recipe.  That said:  My corned beef doesn't slide out of a tin can* -- it's been perfectly-cooked, cubed and refrigerated or frozen in advance.  My potatoes aren't flash-frozen store-bought hash browns -- unpeeled, quickly-cubed "red news" or "baby golds" get roasted separately for ultimate crispness.

*A bit about canned or tinned corned beef:  It certainly had its place on the table during and after the WWII years.  It was a necessity and a staple in the pantries of British and French cooks, where rationing limited the availability of fresh meat to them and I have the utmost respect for that.  On a side note, the word "hash" is derived from the French verb "hacher" meaning "to chop", and, is the British slang for "messing up a situation" or "throwing things together".

In the event you want to be a total slug when making this recipe:  prepare it through to the end, as directed below, a day in advance.  Refrigerate it overnight.  In the AM, return it to the skillet (w/a thin coating of olive oil in the bottom) and reheat it.  No one will know. ~ Melanie

Part One:  The Corned Beef & Caramelized Onions

I never make just one corned beef brisket.  It's counter-productive.  In one big pot, in three hours, I can make three:  one to eat that day, one for sandwiches during the week, and, one to cube and freeze in 3, 1-pound packages, which, is enough to make 3 hearty corned beef hash breakfasts.  Use your favorite recipe, or, click on the Related Article link below, ~ My Braised & Brown Sugar Glazed Corned Beef ~ to get mine.

1  pound cooked, chilled and 3/4" cubed corned beef, about 3-3 1/2 cups (Note: The corned beef is easier to cube if it's been refrigerated.)

1  cup 1/2" diced yellow onion

~ Step 1.  Cube corned beef and chop onions ahead of time.  In the AM, place them in a 12" skillet with 4  tablespoons EVOO.

Note:  Do not be inclined to add salt or any seasoning to the skillet.  The corned beef is full-of-flavor, and, once caramelized, the onions will add their own sweetness to the mixture.

Part Two:  The Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme Potatoes

~ Step 2.  In an 8" x 8" x 2" baking dish, toss together:

1  pound 1/2" cubed red or gold potatoes (Note:  I use my vintage French-fry cutter to make the first very fast cut through each potato and my chef's knife to cut the "fries" into cubes. This takes me about 5 minutes.)

spices: 1/2 teaspoon each, dried parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder and coarsely ground black pepper + 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4  cup olive oil

~ Step 3.  Roast potatoes on center rack of preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.  After thirty minutes of roasting, give them a stir.

~ Step 4.  Continue stirring the potatoes every 10 minutes after that.  Thirty minutes into roasting potatoes, turn the heat under the skillet of corned beef and onions to medium-high.  Sauté, stirring once-in-a-while, resisting the urge to stir too often, until both the meat and the onions are "crispy" and golden, lowering the heat as necessary to keep them from scorching, about 20 minutes.  Turn the heat off.

~ Step 5.  Remove the potatoes from the oven and immediately add them to the skillet with the corned beef and onions.  Over medium-high heat, sauté and stir, until mixture is steaming, 1-2 minutes. Portion and serve immediately.

One last detail:  the eggs.

While corned beef is delicious just as it is, an egg or two to the side (or on top) and toast is customary.

Poached, fried or scrambled -- the choice is yours!

I like poached, the hubs is a fried kinda guy:

The Lazy Lady's Homemade Corned Beef Hash:  Recipe yields 4-6 hearty servings.  

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; 8" x 8" x 2" baking dish; 12" skillet, preferably nonstick; nonstick spatula

Cook's Note:  The toast, of course, is up to you too.  For me, caraway-seeded rye bread is the ticket with this rustic breakfast.  You can find my recipe, ~ Try My Rye:  It's Homemade in the Bread Machine ~ in Categories 2, 5, 9, 12, 15 or 20.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2016)

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