St. Patty's Day Showdown: Corned Beef Hash {Reichl vs. Bittman}

 

St. Patrick's Day calls for a special Stirring the Pot treat! Of the Corned Beef Hash variety.

In 2019, I made Mark Bittman's Corned Beef Hash (pictured below). Bittman's recipe is very similar to Reichl's. They both call for boiled potato, chopped corned beef, onion, eggs, and some type of liquid. Bittman's version (shown below) calls for slightly more liquid and liquid of various variety: stock, tomato sauce, gravy, corned beef liquid, milk, or cream). Bittman also calls for slightly longer cooking time with no stirring so a crust forms on the bottom of the hash and since there is slightly more liquid in his version the potatoes become more mashed - the whole thing is kinda like one big hash cake, if you will. 

Reichl's Corned Beef Hash (pictured below) differs from Bittman's in that it calls for diced red bell pepper.  Reichl also calls for less liquid and less cooking time so the potatoes remain whole and separate from the corned beef. There is pretty much no time for a crust to develop on the bottom of the pan. Reichl specifically calls for cream and doesn't mention using any other liquid, but let's face it, Bittman is known for being very versatile and flexible in his cooking.

SHOWDOWN RESULTS: Both recipes are great and largely very similar. I think Corned Beef Hash lovers would love both recipes, but I have to say that my husband and I both preferred Bittman's more. Something about the mashed-potato-corned-beef-hash-cake type version has nostalgia associated with it and is closer to what we had growing up. However, if I was making this dish for company and I was going solely on looks, I'd say Reichl's version is definitely the prettier of the two!

Corned Beef Hash

Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

by Ruth Reichl

Serves 4

1 pound russet potatoes

1 pound piece cooked corned beef, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4" pieces

salt and black pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

4 large eggs

 Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch dice. Cook in a saucepan of boiling well-salted water to cover until just tender, about 3 minutes; drain.

Pulse corned beef in a food processor until coarsely chopped. 

Heat butter in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over moderately high eat until foam subsides. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in corned beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown. Add cream and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Make 4 depressions in hash and break 1 egg into each. Reduce heat to moderately low and cook, covered, until eggs are cooked to desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes. Season eggs with salt and pepper and sprinkle parsley over hash.

 

Mark Bittman's Corned Beef Hash

I like recipes with minimal ingredients. Evidently I also like recipes with potatoes. As proof, my last FIVE posts have all been about recipes centered around potatoes! Ruth's Sauteed Cabbage with Bacon and Cream and Potato Pierogi; Tessa's Omeleta Horiatiki with Potato, Feta, and Oregano; A roundup of Ruth Reichl favorites with two of them being Cheddar and Garlic Twice-Baked Potatoes and Shirred Eggs Over Potato Puree; Tessa's Patates Tiganites (Greek French Fries), Nigel's Classic Shepherd's Pie, and now Mark Bittman's Corned Beef Hash! I think it's reasonable to say that I need to move on from potatoes and share something fresh and light next.

I'm laughing because there are two reasons I have so many potato dishes. First and foremost, we just love potatoes. Who doesn't? Secondly, potatoes are ALWAYS in my pantry and I can ALWAYS make a potato dish without having to venture out and run to the store.


I tell ya. Put some potatoes in your pantry and with a few other basic ingredients you can always put a meal together!

I bought this corned beef hash on sale for a mere $1.99/lb, which is a fabulous price. Listen to me: DO NOT BOIL YOUR CORNED BEEF! Roast it! Roast it at about 300F to 350F, covered, for about an hour per pound. If your corned beef is good quality then you should end up with a very tender corned beef that almost falls apart, or shreds, like a roast. NOTE: Save any liquid that accumulates in the pan for your hash! Note that it will be quite salty so if you like salt then this will be okay, but if you do not, then you will want to use another liquid such as stock.

Corned beef hash is a delightful and hearty dish that is exceptionally delicious when made from scratch! Bittman's version is different in that he calls for more liquid, so it does not fry up to be as crisp as other versions. When mine came together it had great flavor, but was quite soft, and while some people would like that, I opted to place my has under the broiler (as he suggested) to create a crisp crust on the top. The broiler worked nicely and was much easier than standing over a pan, flipping and flopping the hash, which can be quite finicky. I topped the hash with two over-easy eggs and watched as the yolks oozed over the hash. We are big fans of a skillet breakfast and corned beef hash is easily one of our all-time favorites, perfect for an Easter Brunch!

Corned Beef Hash

Adapted from How To Cook Everything

by Mark Bittman

Serves 2-4

2 cups cut-up leftover corned beef (I like it cut pretty small)

2 cups cut-up cold boiled potatoes

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup liquid (stock, tomato sauce, milk, cream, or gravy)*

3 tablespoons oil or butter

salt and pepper, to taste*

eggs, optional*

Toss together 2 cups of left-over corned beef (I don't like to boil my corned beef. I like to roast it at 350 for about an hour per pound). Add 2 cups cut-up cold boiled potatoes.  Add 1 cup chopped onion and 1/2 cup liquid (*I used the leftover stock from roasting the corned beef, but be warned if you do this - it will be quite salty-also watch the amount of salt you add to this dish*). You can also use stock, tomato sauce, milk, cream, or gravy as a liquid. The goal is to moisten the mixture but not so much as to make it soupy. 

Heat 3 tablespoons oil or butter in a heavy skillet, preferably non-stick, over medium-low heat. When the butter has melted or the oil begins to shimmer, put the hash in the pan and cook it, undisturbed, for about 10 minutes, or until a nice crust has formed. Turn the has and brown the other side, or flip half of it over onto the other, or brown the top under a broiler (mine was too moist to brown on the stovetop so I put it under the broiler).  Serve with over easy eggs* on top and a sprinkling of parsley or something green.

Theme: April Showers @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!

Mini Corned Beef Pot Pies and a Donna Hay Roundup!

I love corned beef and always buy one in March so I can enjoy one or two Ruebens.  Afterwards I always use the leftovers to make some corned beef hash, which makes for an awesome Sunday breakfast.  This time around I wanted to try my hand at these Mini Corned Beef Pot Pies and wow I'm I glad I did!  These little babies are excellent! 

The recipe begins with a simple white sauce, or roux, to which you can add onion, carrot, cubes of potato, and/or peas.  I added what I had on hand, which was half an onion and about a cup of frozen peas, but I think adding potato would make these even better!  We loved these pot pies and everyone made me promise to make them again next year!

Mini Corned Beef Pot Pies

Adapted from Donna Hay website

Makes 4 individual pies

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2/3 cups chicken stock

1-1/4 cup milk

1 cup cooked corned beef, shredded or cubed

1 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 sheet puff pastry

1 egg, lightly beaten

 Notes: This recipe was created using Donna Hay's recipe for corned beef which includes a little carrot and onion.  If you'd like carrot and onion added to your pot pie then you may wish to saute one onion and one carrot in a little butter until somewhat tender and then add this to the pot pie filling.  

Preheat oven to 400F.  Melt the butter over low heat and add the flour, cook, stirring for 5-7 minutes until golden and sandy in texture.  Gradually whisk in the stock and milk, increase the heat to medium and cook about 5 minutes or until thickened.  Add the corned beef, and onion/carrot mixture*, peas, and parsley and stir to combine.  Place your ovenproof dishes (should be 4 dishes with 1 cup capacity) down on the puff pastry and cut out 4 rounds that are slightly bigger than your ovenproof dishes.  Remove the ovenproof dishes and place them onto a foil-lined baking tray. Spoon the pot pie filling into the dishes.  Place the cut puff pastry rounds over the filling.  Brush the pastry with the egg.  Decorate tops with various herbs and/or additional onions (if using).  Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden.

Our time with Donna Hay is coming to a close at I Heart Cooking Clubs.  We've cooked with many cooks/chefs over the years, but I must say that cooking with Donna has been extremely pleasant and somewhat effortless. Donna's recipes are simple, straightforward, and completely stress-free. I found myself looking forward to making her recipes and never once felt overwhelmed by the task.  I will definitely look to her recipes in the future when I am pressed for time and in the mood for fuss-free recipes.

Below are my Donna Hay favorites from the past six months in no particular order.  If you click on the recipe name you will be directed to the original post.

Raspberry Breakfast Parfaits

Salmon and Chive Parcels

Fusilli with Broccoli Pesto

Roasted Sweet Potato Pasta

Lamb Sausage Rolls

Frozen Vodka Slushie

Pumpkin Pie with Brown Sugar Mascarpone

West Side Market: Cleveland, Ohio

West Side Market
1979 West 25th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
With origins dating back to 1840, the West Side Market is Cleveland's oldest publicly owned market. The market house was dedicated in 1912 and its 137 foot clock tower has stood as a Cleveland landmark for nearly a century. Today the market is home to over 100 vendors of great ethnic diversity. The West Side Market is a Cleveland tradition.
I lived in the Cleveland area for the first 26 years of my life but I had never been to the West Side Market before. My husband said that my eyes were glazed over and my head was darting around everywhere;-) He spent the next day or so teasing me about how he had to take both of our two children under his wing because he knew that I wasn't paying any attention to them! I couldn't help it. I'm easily distracted and here I was smack in the middle of foodie paradise!

My first stop was the Pierogi Palace! When you grow up in the Cleveland area you are born and raised on pierogi. I love them so much but am unable to buy them at home in Kentucky.
I brought 3 dozen and packed them in a cooler to bring back home! If you've never tried a pierogi, you simply have to! A pierogi is essentially a dumpling made from pasta dough. Kind of like a ravioli, but thicker and bigger. There are numerous fillings for pierogi. The typical filling is potato or potato and cheese, but you can stuff anything in a pierogi. Pierogi can be boiled, pan-fried, or deep fried. You can even put them in casseroles! I was so delighted to see so many varieties at the Pierogi Palace. I bought one dozen potato and cheese, 6 potato and jalapeno, 6 taco, 6 corned beef and 6 Cajun pierogi. All of them were delicious!!

Pictured above is the Taco Pierogi. It contained cheese and ground beef which had been seasoned with taco seasoning. This one was my husband's favorite. He's requested a return trip for more:-)

Anything with jalapeno is always a hit with both me and my husband and these Potato and Jalapeno Pierogi(pictured above) were no exception! The jalapeno in these was pretty hot, but they were a spicy delight! Definitely one we would buy again.

My personal favorite was this Cajun pierogi. Wanna know why? It was stuffed with mashed red beans and sausage! I think by now you all know that I love beans and this filling was smooth and creamy with little bits of spicy sausage and green pepper. I absolutely loved these and will buy about 2 dozen when I go back ;-)

This last one is the Corned Beef Hash Pierogi. Delicious corned beef with little chunks of potatoes. This one is terrific on it's own, but would be really great with some sauteed cabbage.

After leaving the Pierogi Palace we went in search of the Beef Jerky that Michael Symon recommend on Food Network's show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate".

We bought one pound of the Hot Beef Jerky, which really was the best we'd ever had. We took the jerky home to my Dad's house and everyone vowed that it really was the bomb! Definitely some addictive and satisfying stuff. I'd love to learn how to make my own.

Up next was a stop to Urban Herbs which sold all sorts of fun things: Beans, Lentils, Peas, Chiles, Fruits, Marinades, Veggies, Grains, Herbs, Spices, Mushrooms, Nuts, Seeds, Vinegars, Stocks, Oils, Couscous, Orzo, Rices, Salts and Sugars. This was the place where my mind became totally overwhelmed. Not only did they sell all these great things, but so many different varieties. There were so many things I wanted and I had no idea where to start.

I decided to go for the things I couldn't get at home. I've heard that cardamom pods are expensive and since I can't find them at home I bought 2 oz. for $1.99. I'd always heard of ghost chiles and had never come across them before, so I bought a container of those. They came with their very own set of rubber gloves......hmmmmm. I also bought some farro, a type of wheat or grain that has become popular in Italian cooking. I love couscous and was tempted to buy every kind available, but settled for a pound of red Tomato couscous and a pound of Spinach Couscous. The colors of each are stunning and I can't wait to use them. I could've easily spent $200 or more in this section alone, but we were loaded down with bags so I had to walk away.

This fella worked at the Hungarian meat stand where they made their own homemade sausages. He was a super helpful and nice guy (too bad he moved when I tried to take his picture).

We bought 2 pounds of his Garlic Sausage on our way out. I wish we could've carried more. That garlic sausage was some good stuff. We almost went back up to the market on our way home to Kentucky in order to buy more!

One thing I regret not buying was his Paprika Bacon. Doesn't it look delicious?

We saw so many wonderful things while at the market. Vendors selling only sauces and marinades as pictured above.

Every kind of meat you can imagine, both whole and butchered. I happened to see a whole goat in a glass case. When I went back to get a picture it was gone and the above picture is what was left.

What I loved about the West Side Market is that almost every culture was represented. This vendor was selling English pasties, Scottish Meat Pies, Birdies and the Irish Hamburger.

Breads and baked goods were abundant in the West Side Market. So many wonderful fresh breads from all cultures. My daughter and I bought one of the Asiago Soft Pretzels, pictured above.

And, how could I resist not taking a picture of a CHOCOLATE COVERED TWINKIE? I think I've seen it all! The bad part is that I really wanted one. I didn't do it this time around BUT I'm being honest when I say that I know I would eventually cave in and eat one.

There was even a band playing high up in the balcony area.

Going to the West Side Market was a full on senses overload experience for me. So many wonderful things to see, smell, touch, taste! I found that my adrenaline was running and my mind was reeling. I felt like I was on an adventure where I was able to immerse myself in my surroundings and go on a trip with my senses. Going to a market like this is one of my favorite things to do and always stirs up the passion I have for food. I could have easily spent the entire day at the West Side Market.

I'm so happy and appreciative to have you all who are so equally passionate about food and cooking! It is so nice to be surrounded by others who have a similar passion.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Christmas Traditions: Big Breakfasts

My Mom always cooked up a big breakfast on Christmas morning, usually consisting of eggs, toast, and corned beef hash. My parents and I enjoyed those intimate big breakfasts in our cozy little breakfast nook, all the while talking and laughing about what shenanigans Santa was up to and what our favorite presents were. This tradition is something that I like to carry on with my own family now.

Speaking of tradition.......anyone remember these bowls from the 70's? My Mom had the whole collection, along with matching measuring cups, and a matching pitcher. In fact, we used to have the matching green refrigerator and stove. A special shade of green made popular only in the 70's :D
My Mom used these bowls for everything, heck, she even baked casseroles in them. I inherited these bowls in my early twenties and have loved them dearly since. They remind me of my Mom working in the kitchen and I love thinking about all the times my family held them and ate from them. There is no telling how many thousands of meals have been mixed and served from these old worn out bowls. If I'm in the kitchen, odds are that I'm holding one of these mixing bowls. They are the only set of mixing bowls I own and are some of my most treasured items. I baby them, handle them with care and get very cranky if anyone else fondles them!!
This week's theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs is all about the holidays and traditions. Seems fitting as I took out my Mom's old bowls and set to work on Nigella's Homemade Instant Pancake Mix as part of our big Christmas breakfast.

Now, I must say that I am not known for my pancakes. In fact, I'm really not good at them. I have tried over and over to produce the light and fluffy pancakes that my family adores, but to no avail. I bet I've tried at least six recipes over the past few years only to turn out pale, dense, and heavy pancakes........ until now. I'm happy to say that it seems Nigella's homemade mix is the right recipe for me! In fact, they turned out so well that I forgot to take a picture. They just started disappearing from the serving plate!!

HOMEMADE INSTANT PANCAKE MIX - adapted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson
For the Pancake Mix:
4 cups flour *I used half white whole wheat and half a/p*
3 tablespoons baking powder **wow - this is a lot of baking powder, but it works well**
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar

Mix the above ingredients together and store in a jar.

To Make the Batter and The Pancakes:
**For every 1 cup of pancake mix, add and whisk together:
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Heat a dry flat griddle or pan- no need to oil it. Spoon 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter onto the hot griddle and when bubbles appear on the surface of the little pancakes, flip them over to make them golden brown on both sides. A minute or so a side should do it.

**Makes 15 pancakes of about 3 inches in diameter

NOTES/RESULTS: This is the first time I've produced a great pancake! I'm so happy that I tried this recipe. I noticed that Nigella's recipe has a lot of baking powder and I'm not sure if this is what sets it apart or not. Another difference is that I have always buttered or oiled my skillet before adding the pancake batter. I'm thinking that was a big mistake. I followed Nigella's tip and didn't oil or butter the pan and the pancakes turned a lovely shade of golden brown and puffed up nicely. They bubbled when they were supposed to and were so easy to flip. I'm gonna have to say that I love this mix. Too bad I don't have a final picture to share.


I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I'll be headed up to Ohio tomorrow morning to visit with some of my very favorite people: my Dad and my old childhood friends. I'm taking tons of cookies and Tyler's Ultimate Lasagna Bolognese (now frozen and set to defrost in my car on the drive). I'm wishing you all a wonderful Holiday weekend and I'll see you next week for a recap of my favorite top ten recipes from 2009!!

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to check out everyone's special post about the holidays and traditions!!

Oh, and I can't publish this post without sharing my favorite presents of the day. I finally got a springform pan and I'm really excited about that. I also got a couple of little crocks for individual casseroles, perfect for french onion soup, little mac n cheeses, etc. I also got a grill pan for the stovetop. I have been pretty busy thinking of things to cook and bake in my new gadgets!! Sweet dreams to me :D