Canned slop or culinary masterpiece? Canned corned beef could be just what you need to
spice up your favorite meal. You just gotta know how to cook it!
When it comes to canned corned beef, some people have very simple tastes.
"I want a can of hash and some coffee.”
But let's face facts, it's kind of boring as is. So if you're really looking to kick it up a notch,
toss in some fresh ingredients. If you've never had the pleasure of opening a can of
this less-than-visually-appetizing meat, just a friendly heads-up: it's going to be dense,
yet mushy, and the color will be a bit dull. In other words, it's a…
"...rectched, vile dish of canned slop."
"That's a can of hash and some coffee."
But you can make it into the most amazing, flavorful, and colorful dish by simply adding a
few staple ingredients. The first addition would be to just put an egg on it. A fried egg makes
pretty much anything better. Relive St. Patrick's Day and make a hearty mishmash of hash n' Potatoes
O' Brien by adding in some sautéed cabbage, or pan fry potatoes, bell peppers, and onions.
If you're feeling like "less is more," then just chop up some fresh herbs. While you may want to
steer clear from herbs like flat leaf parsley, try adding some fresh chives or scallions,
or even tossing in fresh dill or cilantro. That is unless cilantro tastes like you're
biting into a bar of Irish Sping soap. Then it's probably best to avoid it.
It would be a grave understatement
to say that canned corned beef hash isn't high on the sodium content list. According to the
supermarket chain HEB, one serving of Hormel's canned corned beef hash contains 870 mg of sodium!
That's about 36% of your recommended daily intake,
in case you needed more numbers to chew on. Lucky for you, there's an incredibly easy workaround,
so you won't be chugging down water to help dilute your meal.
"Ahhh…that's good!"
While the following technique is meant for whole pieces of corned beef,
the same principle can be applied to the canned version, as well. First,
empty your can of hash into a bowl and add cold water.
Make sure that you loosen the canned corned beef with a spatula or fork so that the water
can penetrate into each meaty fiber, and then put the bowl into your refrigerator
for an hour or so. Rinse and repeat the process a couple of times. Afterward,
give the sodium-reduced hash some time to dry out before tossing it in a pan with hot oil.
While this won't remove all of that tasty yet controversial white mineral,
it'll definitely tone it down a bit. If this seems like a time-consuming process, well…
"All good things to those who wait."
"But how can you render the fat off of canned meat?" you might be wondering? This is the
easiest, though not the most efficient, way to remove the excess fat from your hash. Because
let's face it — canned corned beef is not only high in sodium, it also shouldn't be
your first or second, or third choice when it comes to a low-fat or low cholesterol meal.
Rendering off the fat from canned meats requires a bit of patience,
but it's worth it. First boil the can of corned beef hash,
and then set the can down on a non-slippery surface. A heat-resistant silicone mats work
great. Open the can and pour out the fat that has now magically floated to the top. And…
"Voilà!"
Your canned corned beef hash has now been rendered. But here's something you should keep
in mind. You'll want to dispose of the rendered fat in an aluminum can or heat-proof vessel and
let it cool before tossing it. Do not pour it down the drain — unless you want to call a plumber —
because once the rendered fat cools down, it turns back to a solid. Doesn't sound neat?
"Yeah, science!"
Now, you've rendered as much of the fat from your canned corned beef as possible. But,
you're still worried about adding fat to get your meaty breakfast of champions super crispy. Well,
fret not dear viewer, because we'd like you to meet your new best friend: the air fryer.
These ingenious little tabletop contraptions were invented for
those who not only enjoy convenience but are also constantly looking at
their smartwatch because the food is just taking too long to cook.
"This is taking way too long."
The air fryer can fry up foods in a fraction of their normal cook time. What's even better
is that to attain the perfect level of crisp, these gizmos don't need any added fats or oils.
"Look, witchcraft made easy!"
No, no! We know it sounds like sorcery, but you can put down your torches and pitchforks,
because It's powered by science. Not witchcraft.
To make crispy canned corned beef hash,
all you need to do is spray it with olive or avocado oil, add your canned corned beef hash,
and cook it at 370 F for 15 to 20 minutes. Make three or four indentations in the canned corned
beef and carefully break an egg into each little hash dent. Let the entire thing go
for another four to five minutes and check out the tasty breakfast you just created.
Canned corned beef hash is
one of those dishes that seems to take absolutely forever to crisp up. However,
there is a method to the crisping madness, which is to cook the hash on both sides,
but only long enough so that some of the meaty moisture is cooked off.
It seems simple enough, but that still doesn't do anything for the waiting game. And let's face it.
When you're waiting for something to cook, it's like watching paint dry, or a game of baseball.
"Boring!"
Cook times typically depend on the type of cookware you're using, as well as the temperature
and the amount of hash being prepared. This can be as short a process as six to eight minutes on
each side, or up to 25 minutes. For a nice gritty texture! Sadly, regardless of how you like your
hash cooked, you're just going to have to suck it up and wait for your delicious meaty breakfast.
"Well that sucks!"
Butter isn't always better, and not all oils are created equal,
said some chef somewhere, at some point in history. Or maybe it was
Benjamin Franklin? Who knows! We're not talking history here.
But what we do know for certain is that canned corned beef hash
is already well-equipped with its own built-in cooking grease. And therefore,
extra oil isn't really necessary to give it that extra crisp factor.
But should you choose to use oil to add that little bit of something the
best type to use would be an oil with a higher burning point. The burning point,
also called the smoking point, just means that these oils won't start to smoke until
they reach a designated temperature. And no, it's not always at 420 degrees.
When it comes to crisping up your canned corned beef breakfast bonanza, you're going to want to
stick to oils like vegetable or canola. That's because they can reach a temperature of 400 F
to 450 F before they begin to smoke. Butter will burn, and has the lowest smoking point at 302 F.
If you're looking for a healthier oil, refined coconut oil has a burning point of 450 F.
Refined or light olive oil starts burning at 465 F, and refined avocado
oil can reach up to 520 F before it will threaten to sound off your smoke alarm.
Right off the bat, refrain from using stainless steel to cook your hash. Stainless steel cookware
is great, but it doesn't work for all types of food or methods of cookery. Stainless steel pans
work well with sauces, caramelization, tomatoes, and wine. However, the same does not apply to most
other foods, especially protein-based foods like meat and eggs. This is because chemical bonds are
formed between metal atoms and protein particles, which means your breakfast and your stainless
steel pan will end up in an embrace that even the mighty vinegar will have a tough time breaking up.
Now that you know what not to use, the recommended pan for cooking optimally crispy,
crunchy, delectable canned corned beef hash would be a seasoned cast
iron skillet. If you don't have one of these hefty pans in your kitchen arsenal,
your next best bet would be a Teflon pan. Either works well, so go forth and fry on.
You may think that canned corned beef is basically just reserved for breakfast,
but that's not the case. All you need is a little something called…
"Imagination!"
Sometimes a kitchen that needs to be restocked is the best instigator
for working with what you've got. If you're going to a St. Patty's Day celebration — or
any type of party, for that matter — you could make a rich and creamy no-cook chip
dip that utilizes canned corned beef, sour cream, and Worcestershire sauce.
You can also make a casserole with this canned breakfast meat by mixing it with
cream of celery soup, potatoes, and a few other kitchen staples, and baking it at 375 F.
Canned corned beef hash can also be used to make a super tasty stew. All you need
to do is add canned crushed tomatoes, sautéed carrots and onions, and some chopped cabbage,
and let it simmer on low for a few minutes. Maybe serve it with some
cornbread or on a bed of rice. But it's also probably hearty enough on its own.
Like some other prominent shelf-stable foods — like its can-tastic cousin Spam
or even the condiment king ketchup — canned corned beef has also made
a name for itself in other foodie cultures.
In the Philippines, a famous breakfast dish called Cornsilog is typically eaten
for breakfast. It consists of three components: fried eggs, garlic fried rice, and corned beef.
The name Cornsilog is actually a blending of each of the individual dishes combined: corned beef,
siligog rice, and itlog. This hearty breakfast can sometimes be served with a few slices of tomatoes.
"For your health!"
In Jamaica, canned corned beef is known as bully beef,
according to the food blog Eat With Your Eyes. It really rose in popularity in the
late 1980s after Hurricane Gilbert — the most devastating and destructive
storm in Jamaica's history. The storm pretty much obliterated the island.
Fresh produce and meat were scarce, if not impossible, to procure. But canned foods were
plentiful. This both loved and reviled dish traditionally consists of canned corned beef,
bell peppers, onion, garlic, black pepper, thyme, and scotch bonnet peppers.
It's frequently served with rice, boiled unripened bananas, or fried dumplings.
Have you ever met a person who didn't enjoy a good
taco or burrito? What about breakfast tacos or burritos?
"Yes. Yes, I have."
Well forget them! While these two food items typically seem to be divided into
Team Taco and Team Burrito, we think it's safe to say that both of them
are equally delicious in their own way. And both are quite good at doing their
job — filling you up with a hearty, flavorful, and satisfying breakfast.
And just in case you were being too productive,
a good excuse to take a mid-morning siesta. If you look at canned corned beef hash,
it's basically screaming to be folded up in a tortilla or taco shell.
It's already been confirmed that it's a suitable breakfast food as is,
but when partnered up with its festive BFF,
it's a real fiesta in your mouth. Just remind everyone to pace themselves with the tequila.
Just because canned corned beef is considered to be a "breakfast food"
doesn't mean that you should only reserve it for "first meal of the day" burritos or tacos,
either. Fry it up and serve it with crunchy taco shells, sour cream, pico de gallo,
and cilantro or shredded cabbage, and you'll have a very happy tummy.
If you're part of Team Burrito, then fry it up with some black beans,
finely chopped onion, jalapeño, sour cream, and queso fresco, and you're all set for a nap.