Roast Beef Hash Review

I used to enjoy canned corned beef hash from Hormel. I would simply empty it into a cast iron skillet and fry it up crunchy. This means smashing it all flat in the pan and letting it fry until it's almost burnt and then turning it over almost like a pancake. Then you do one final turn and use the spatula to break it up a bit and then put it on a plate. Since then I've discovered that Hormel has a can of Mary Kitchen Roast Beef Hash that I like even more.

I don't like to just fry it by itself, however. From the can it's good, but it's not perfect. Perfection is a matter of taste and it doesn't take too much extra effort. I start with a chopped onion (a quarter of a medium sized one) and throw the pieces into a little olive oil in a frying pan on medium high. I like the onions to caramelize . . . get them brown and sweet.

While the onions are sweetening I take a medium parsnip. And chop it like the onion. If you can't find a parsnip, you can use a carrot. Most Americans have probably never eaten a parsnip, which is too bad. A parsnip looks like a white skinny carrot. They are both root vegetables. The parsnip has kind of a creamy color to it and fine little hairs, much like the carrot. The parsnip was native to Eurasia. The Romans cultivated it and used it in their cooking. Europeans used the parsnip as a sweetener until cane sugar appeared from the East Indies. All you have to do is wash off the parsnip. You can shave it to make it look nice and neat, but it's not necessary. We love them roasted or cut up in stews. Pureed cooked parsnips can make a wonderful soup. Parsnips are high in vitamins and minerals, especially potassium.

Once chopped I toss the parsnip into the frying pan with the onion. I sprinkle with sea salt, give a couple turns from our course grind pepper mill, and give two or three shakes from a little bottle of crushed red pepper flakes. I then cover the parsnips and onions and let them cook the parsnips nice and tender.

When the parsnips and onions are almost indistinguishable, I add the can of roast beef hash. I mix the hash with the onions and parsnips and flattened them all down and let them all brown together. After flipping the whole mess a couple of times I know that there are chunky and crunchy pieces, so I serve the hash to myself on a platter.

Sometimes, when I have left-over tater tots from visiting grandkids, I will cook up the onions and the tater tots and leave out the parsnips.

I often add a garnish of green onions or chives to top off the meal. Served with a glass of V-8 Juice and coffee, I'm on top of the world.

I don't eat roast beef hash every day. These cans of hash are not low in calories. For example, a can of hash has as many calories as a McDonald's Quarter-Pounder with Cheese with one hash brown, but then who could eat just one hash brown. I'll buy a couple of cans occasionally and then go for months without having this morning delight at all. I also still like the corned beef hash. When I see corned beef hash on a menu at a restaurant I ask if it's canned of homemade. It's usually from a can, and I know where I can get that.

Special Note: On the Hormel website I saw that there is a Hormel Mary Kitchen Sausage Hash available, also, but I've never seen it for sale anywhere. Has anyone tried this? I would love to review the sausage hash as well.