 There are simply no two ingredients that evoke Irish cooking more than corned beef and potatoes. Combine them and you have St. Patrick’s Day in your mouth! Before talking about cooking the best darn corned-beef potato hash that has ever been cooked, we should probably take a moment to explain what corned beef is. Corned beef is a cut of beef, usually brisket, which comes from the front of the cow.
The meat is then pickled in a brine mixture. There is usually no corn involved in the process at all – “corn” was used in older English to mean any small particle such as salt or corn.
Corned beef became popular with Irish immigrants to the United States in New York City as a substitute for more expensive bacon, which was a traditional food back home. Their Jewish neighbors introduced them to the meat and the now traditional Irish love for corned beef was born. Corned beef is now the traditional meal every St. Patrick’s Day. In fact, many local bishops will grant their Irish Roman Catholic constituents dispensations to eat Corned beef if St. Patty’s falls on a Friday; Roman Catholics aren’t supposed to eat any meat on Fridays during Lent.
The biggest secret to a good corned beef potato hash is the corned beef. If you use canned corned beef, you’ll end up with an ok tasting dish that people will like. If you use deli-cut corned beef, you’ll be taking your corned beef potato hash to a whole new level. While this seems to be a common sense move, most recipes that are out there call for cans. It can be argued that simply by substituting the canned stuff for the real stuff in your current recipe will spice it up to unbelievable awesomeness.
It is also important to cut the corned beef into thin strips rather than thick chunks or pieces to get the right texture. Slicing the potatoes thinly is also a key to the proper texture – if they are cut into thin chunks, they won’t absorb the corned beef taste as easily and the two ingredients won’t achieve the symmetry that they need to make this dish successful.
The other charge levied against corned beef and potato hash is its inherent non-healthy nature. This recipe strives to class it up with some non-traditional ingredients, like leeks, and lighten up the calories traditionally associated with this fine meal.
The Most Healthy and Awesome Corned Beef Hash Ever Made
8 ounces thinly sliced lean deli corned beef
1 pound small red potatoes (about 8 potatoes), thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced leek (about 1 medium)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard, or Dijon if you can’t get brown
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove of fresh garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Note: One of the keys to keeping this dish lower on the calories is the absence of butter and the use of lean deli corned beef as opposed to regular. If you can’t do without one or the other, just be conscious that it will add calories.
- Cut corned beef slices into thin strips.
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan.
- Cover with water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
- Add leeks; cook an additional 2 minutes.
- Drain well and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Add corned beef; sauté 2 minutes.
- Add vinegar and next 5 ingredients (vinegar through pepper)
- Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Pour vinaigrette over potato mixture; toss.
- Serve immediately!
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