Blame it on the fact that it is Multi-Cultural Week at Darius' school. I'll be talking about Ireland to 27 kindergartners this afternoon and am making Irish Soda Bread tomorrow for their international taste-testing. Something about listening to the Celtic Women and reading Irish fables put me in the mood for Corned Beef.
Neville absolutely hates Corned Beef and Cabbage. So when I want corned beef, I'm stuck making Corned Beef Hash. Good thing that we all love Corned Beef Hash. No matter how much I make, there never seems to be enough. And it tastes just as good the next day, so it's a perfect lunch to take to work.
To be fair, this isn't really a 20-minute meal. But if you do a little advanced prep during dinner the night before, you'll have a delicious meal the next night that will be done in 20 minutes.
Corned Beef Hash
The night before (or the morning of, if you work from home or it's a weekend):
Place one prepared corned beef brisket (these come already "corned" and are sold prepackaged) in a large heavy bottomed pot and cover with water. I typically buy a brisket in the 2.5 to 3 pound range.
Add the little spice packet that is included in the package plus add: 2 garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf, 5 whole cloves, and the peel from half an orange to the pot.
Bring to a boil. Skim any foam then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer slowly according to package directions. The corned beef needs a couple of hours to cook, so it's perfect to just throw on an extra pot while your making your dinner that night. This part of the meal is "set it and forget it" so it won't get in the way.
Once the brisket is cooked, remove it from the pot and place on a platter or plate (you'll cover this and refrigerate it once it has cooled to room temp). Remove the garlic and orange peel. Increase your heat to medium and add to the pot:
Simmer until veggies are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add the veggies to the platter with the brisket. Cover with Saran Wrap and refrigerate.
The night of your dinner:
Take your brisket and veggies from the fridge and give them all a quick dice. It doesn't have to be perfect by any means, so just chop away in bite-sized pieces. Chop up two onions while you're at it.
In the largest non-stick pan you have (I use a 15" paella pan) add 2-3 tbsp of oil (or butter) and the chopped onion over medium high heat. Cook onion until just tender, 3-5 minutes. Add the chopped root vegetables and corned beef to the pan. Give it a quick stir, then press the mixture down into the pan. Cover and let cook for 5-7 minutes. Don't disturb the "hash." You want it to get nice and brown on the bottom. After 5-7 minutes, remove the lid and "flip" over sections of the hash. Don't stir. Cover and let cook for another 5-7 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste. I find it easier to just bring salt and pepper to the table and let everyone season their own plate. Serve while hot.
I cover my hash in hot sauce because, these days, if it isn't spicy I'm not interested in eating it.
Side Note: To make this meal go twice as far, buy a larger brisket and add savoy cabbage to the veggies. Just slice up the brisket on Day 1 for Corned Beef and Cabbage. Then use your leftover for the Corned Beef Hash (you'll need to double up on the root veggies as well).
