I was hoping to be a bit more creative with the title of the post, but it is what it is. After posting a pic on the Facebook fan site asking everyone to guess what I had cooking on the stove, someone responded by saying it was corned beef hash. Rewind a few years back and we were on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship en route to Antigua when I had my first experience with corned beef hash. Not until the person on Facebook said it looked like corned beef hash, did I clue in as to why I love it so much. I went every day after, up to the main buffet while on the cruise, hunting down corned beef hash. This fry aloo and corned beef was a hit of mine since I was a kid and that hash satisfied some serious craving.
Whenever my mom would have leftover corned beef from the day before, she would add it to the fry aloo the next morning for breakfast. I also recall she would add leftover, stew chicken, beef and/or pork… gosh those were some good days for sure!
With the leftover corned beef I saw sitting in the fridge, I knew the time was right to make this dish. For those of you who’ve been following my cooking exploits to date, will recall I did both at fry aloo and corned beef recipe a while back. And for those of you wondering what “aloo” is, it’s just another word for potato.
So here’s the Caribbean take on corned beef hash.
You’ll Need…
4 medium potatoes (I like using Yukon Gold to get that nice creamy texture)
1/2 onion sliced
2 cloves garlic (sliced thin)
dash black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 table spoons vegetable oil (olive oil works great – adds a nice flavour)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (or any pepper you like using) * Optional but really completes the dish)
1/2 cup left over fry corned beef (see link above for that recipe)
Note: If you don’t have any left over corned beef, use 1/3 can of a good canned corned beef. My fave is Hereford, as it’s the least fatty of the ones I’ve tried in the past. Simply empty it into the fried potato and mix it in. No need for the other ingredients I used in the normal corned beef recipe.
Peel, wash and slice the potato in somewhat thin slices. I usually cut each in half (long way), then slice. Give it a quick rinse under cool water to remove some of the starch. Then heat the oil in a pan and add the sliced onion, garlic and hot pepper and allow that to cook for a few minutes on medium heat. Until you start seeing golden edges.
Drain off the potato if you had it sitting in water to prevent it from going discolored and add the slices to the pan. Give it a good stir so everything gets coated with the onion and garlic. Turn down the heat to medium / low, cover the pot and allow that to cook for about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on this as it will start sticking to the bottom of the pan – that’s natural. So stir every 3-4 minutes and turn down the heat if you find that it’s sticking too much.
Those brown bits at the bottom of the pot is where the real flavor in this dish is. Trust me! After the 20 minutes or so, the potato should be falling apart and tender (see pic above). It’s time to add the left over corned beef, or a 1/3 of a new can. Give it a good stir and cook for another 5 minutes with the lid open. You don’t want this going overly soggy.
I can eat this all by itself, but it’s great with sada roti or fry bake , as a side for breakfast with eggs etc and you can always grab some bread (slice, hops, pita..etc) and make some sandwiches. Before you rush to the kitchen to whip up a batch of this, please leave me your comments below – even if it’s just to say hello. It’s appreciated! Don’t forget to join the commess (chat) on facebook by clicking on the image on the right side (upper part of the page).
Another new combination, for sure, I will make this.
Hiya Chris, I love all your recipes. I substitute all pork and beef for chicken or soya though.I really appreciate all you do. Especially the Trini foods, I have learnt so much from you.Thank you so much for everything
Hello, Chris
I will be trying this Sunday morning breakfast for my kids
Thanks.
Can corned beef and potatoes be anything but Hash? Eggs ,poached for sure.
My husband is from Jamaica and he would always fix corned beef and fried dumplings. He would fix it for Saturday breakfast. He calls corned beef bulla beef. I hope that I spelled it correctly. We are not together but my daughter and i still fix it.
You can also put a little curry in the oil before you put in the potato..this gives it a great flavor…Thanks for reminding me of this dish, its so good.
Hello Chris , I will certainly give this a try as corned beef is one of my favourite dishes..
Thanks Chris for the wonderful recipies
Love this version…We usually cook the Aloo (lol) first..Then crush
and add to the savoury sauteed corned beef and seasonings!
Chirs,
Love your site, hope you don't ever stop!!! This cornbeef also works well with shredded cabbage instead of aloo, everything else stays the same.
Corned Beef Hash has been a favorite in our house for 4 generations.
During both World Wars,beef was at a premium in England. But everyone including the soldiers, had “Bullybeef” in their rations. Argentina was and probably still is, the largest exporter of Corned Beef which was an easy and economical way of exporting their meat before reliable long-term refrigeration.
Regional Geography: 8th Grade 1969:- And who said I was look out the window !!
Hey Chris,
I'm loving this recipe, thanks for all the great cooking ideas 🙂
Hi Chris
I grew up with corned Beef Hash on the family menu. However when I recently went to purchase a can of corn beef, I was shocked at the price!! It is now in the price range of the highest priced T-bone steak, by ounce weight!!! No longer a low priced meal star.
sad corn beef lover: Kate
Had corned beef from the tin with rice ,onions,tomatoes.Also sandwiches but never with potato.I will try it for sure .Thanks Chris
Imagine my surprise the first time I heard some one order " cornbeef hash " at a diner in NYC only to see this same thing come out
As much as I've searched the web to add to my recipe collection, finding you has been a real pleasure and treat. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to finally cook the cuisine I have come to love so much. I've fallin' in love with Caribbean food so much that my hubby, sister and myself have already booked our trip to Trinidad&Tobago in Feb. 2012 and Jamaica August 2012. We looked forward to tasting and experiencing everything that these three islands have to offer. We understand that there are many other islands with there own twist to these tasty recipes and we have plans to explore them too! THANXS AGAIN CHRIS 🙂
Hey Chris….
Toni in Philly here love your site and the recipes are awesome. I made stewed chicken, macaroni pie, and curry bodi and potatoe this past Sunday and it came out delicious. Cooking this for the first time I was amazed at how easy it was and how well it came out. My husband and sister-n-law thanks you for putting such a wonderful website together. My next adventure is the Pelau on Tuesday. I love to cook and try different cuisines….my two favorites are Indian and Caribbean. They are so similar in style to me and I just can't get enough.
The hearty meats, sauces, and sides…Oh my!!!
Hi Chris,
Why do I keep opening your e-mails when I am at work???? Can't wait to get home to try this.
Janet
Hey Chris, I made curry corned beef last night, but now I will try it with fried aloo. I am at work at the present and my stomach is growling. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes
this is a hit with my family except my husband who doesn't like corned beef
I did this, this past weekend for my husband who grew up loving canned corned beef hash believe it or not so I had to make him a better version! I added a bit of curry powder and it added a nice kick.
i love corn beef! cant wait to try this recipe
WOW! nice! Have you ever had this as a filling for an aloo pie. My mother in law curries the aloo then adds the corn beef. it came out pretty good. Let me know what you think.
Tried this twice and it was a big hit! Imagine someone who claimed to not like potatoes asked for a second helping!!!