Corned Beef Hash & Holiday Celebrations!

Well it's been quite a while since I last posted and a lot has changed! Long story short, I have a new job and a new apartment in Portland, I'm in graduate school and over the past few months I've had virtually no free time to write, so I took a bit of a hiatus...... But by popular demand (actually only like three people asked me) the blog is BACK! I'm so excited to share some delicious recipes I've made during my blogging off season, and it's perfect timing with the holidays coming up.

To kick of the restoration of my blog, I want to share a recipe for one of my favorite foods in the entire world. It's invariably the star of any brunch spread, it'll cure the worst hangover you've got and when it's served with nature's gravy (runny yolk, people) it's quite possibly one of my favorite bites on earth. Wash it down with a spicy bloody mary for the ultimate dining experience...

We had a little Christmas brunch celebration with a group of friends and it was fantastic. Everyone made a dish and our final spread included a variety of pancakes, copious amounts of bacon, coffee cake (I'll be blogging that later!), smoked salmon crostinis, eggs baked in french bread, mimosas, homemade bloody marys and of course corned beef hash. It was such a wonderful way to get in the holiday spirit and spend time with great people.... and of course dance to Christmas music which is just about my favorite thing on earth to do.

All of us were in unanimous agreement that canned corned beef hash just isn't right. That's not to say I haven't eaten it (and enjoyed it) from time to time, but its greasy mashed cat-food-ish consistency and instant artery clogging capabilities don't nearly compare to a homemade hash with tender actual shreds of beef and fresh veggies. I enjoy a hash where the meat-to-veggie ratio is a solid 3-1. I used 3 lbs of corned beef and two large russet potatoes, one large carrot and one onion. This way, you aren't skimping on the beef which is of course the best part! To send this home even further, I cook a few pieces of bacon and use the rendered fat instead of oil. I was pumped to make it and share it with all my buds to celebrate the holidays; Nothing makes me happier than cooking for friends. My boyfriend is a self proclaimed hash connoisseur and he said it was one of the best he's had so that's a good sign!

Most corned beef briskets come with a spice packet, but I prefer to mix my own (see corned beef mix recipe at the bottom of page). If yours doesn't come with a spice packet and you'd rather not make your own, pickling spice works just fine; they often have a recipe for corned beef on the side of the label! You can cook the beef the night before and keep in the fridge for quicker prep in the morning/more hands free time to drink your bloodys!

With a fresh coat of snow on the ground and Christmas right around the corner, it's hard not to be overjoyed spending time with good people and overindulging in delicious food and many drinks! If you're having friends or family over for brunch, or you just want to treat yourself, this is a perfect recipe that'll put a smile on anyone's face.

Happy Holidays and enjoy cooking for all the wonderful people in your life!








Corned Beef Hash

Ingredients:
3 lbs corned beef brisket, cooked and chopped/shredded, whichever you prefer
3/4 pieces of bacon
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, grated
2 large russet potatoes, grated
Salt & pepper
1 tsp thyme
Fresh parsley

Directions:

• Cook bacon over medium-high heat in large skillet (the larger the better as you want as much surface area to crisp those potatoes) until crisp. Remove from pan and reserve a couple tablespoons of the drippings. If there isn't about 3 tbsp, add a tbsp bit of butter :)
• Add chopped onions to the pan and cook until it is beginning to brown. 
• Make sure potatoes and carrots are as dry a possible, you can place them in a paper towel and squeeze moisture out. If they're very moist they will steam instead of crisp. Add them to the pan with the onion. Add in the dried thyme and season with pepper. Be careful about adding salt because the corned beef is likely already quite salty.
• Cook until tender. This will take about 15 minutes.
• Stir in the corned beef and crumbled bacon and cook until it's warmed through and crispy... Remember to scrape the crispy bits off the bottom of the pan, those are gold. 
• Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve with nature's gravy.

Corned Beef Spice Mix

Ingredients:
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp dill seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp allspice berries
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
three cloves
2 bay leaves

Directions:
Mix together spices and use when simmering or slow cooking a corned beef brisket.