Reviving An Oldie But a Goodie

What can I say except it’s a good thing today is Wild Card Wednesday. That means, when it comes to the family’s evening meal, anything goes. That’s good because today is also National Hash Day. Simply put, we get to have breakfast for dinner tonight.

This is a revival of two prior receipes shared that have been combined to make one simple and delicious Diner Style Hash. I’ve taken the canned Corn Beef recipe and combined it with the simplicity of using refrigerated diced potatoes. Then blended the “extras” from a recipe used to doctor canned hash. Yeah, it doesn’t get any simpler to whip up a roadside favorite.

Back in the I can remember many a wee-hours of the morning making a run to a hole-in-the-wall diner with friends. We were all seniors in high school, making the best out of what we had left of “childhood”. We’d gather to have coffee and breakfast at two in the morning and talk until dawn. My favorite early morning breakfast was Corned Beef Hash and Eggs. I could eat that almost every day and be happy. But then, I was a teenager. Today, while still a fan of Corned Beef Hash, I don’t think I would want to live on the stuff.

Those were the days – Friday Night under the lights cheering on our high school football team (who rarely won a game, but we didn’t care). Then heading out to “cruise” the downtown loop until the signal lights began to flash – meaning it was time to get off the roads. Everyone would pile into their souped up muscle cars, and head to our favorite local all-night diner. While American Graffiti took place about 10 years earlier, the scene was about the same. American Graffiti was set in Modesto, about 60 miles to the south of where I grew up. Modesto is where we now call home. And every June the old cruise is back for a weekend.

Maybe it’s because I was a part of the real deal, but since moving to Modesto, we’ve avoided American Graffiti weekend. It tends to be crowded as parks, streets and other areas of town are closed down to make room for all those classic cars. People elsewhere tend to forget that George Lucas, creator of American Graffiti and the whole Star Wars phenomena, is a Modesto native. Modesto hasn’t forgotten. While cruising isn’t a Friday night thing anymore, the simplicity and wholesome innocents depected in that film still exists here.

Wow, sort of got off track there for a minute. Today’s supposed to be all about Corned Beef Hash. Maybe since it’s such a throw-back recipe, I couldn’t help but to wander down memory lane.

Corned Beef Hash
2 tablespoons Bacon Drippings
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 (20 oz) bag Diced Potatoes
Mesquite Seasoning to taste
1/2 White Onion
1 (12 oz) can Corned Beef
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Warm bacon drippings and oil in a skillet over medium heat. Spread diced potatoes out, season Mesquite Seasoning. Cook according to package directions until just done.

Meanwhile, slice half of a white onion into thin slivers. Set aside. Open canned corned beef and remove meat from the tin can. Break up meat into large chunks. Set aside.

Warm bacon drippings in a large skillet over medium heat. Place drained potatoes into the skillet with the bacon drippings. Season potatoes with a little pepper and cook in bacon drippings for about 6 minutes.

Add onion slivers and crumbled corned beef. Stir to blend. Cover and continue to cook about 5 minutes, allowing the onions, meat and potatoes to “steam” warm. Remove lid, stir and finish off to brown, about 5 minutes longer.

Dirty Fried Eggs
4 tablespoons Bacon Drippings
Vegetable Oil as needed
6 Eggs
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Heat bacon drippings in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add enough oil to dripping to coat the bottom of the pan about 1/8-inch deep.

Crack eggs into the skillet one egg at a time, holding the egg in place with the shell until it begins to turn white. This will keep the egg from running all over the skillet. Once all the eggs are cooking and the outer edges are firm, use a wooden spoon or the back of a spatula to “splash” hot grease over the eggs until the whites are cooked through while the yolks are still runny. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, plate the hash. Eggs can be placed on top of the hash or to the side. For a nice presentation, place hash in a ramekin, topped with an egg and served with toast points.

---

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God