They say you can never go back to re-live a moment lost in time forever. In my case, it was a retro-hashcapade, an attempt to re-create the hamburger hash that my Mom used to make to sustain our large family. I remember sitting around a crowded table and eating all the potatoes first before I attacked the undefended hamburger to extend the meal as long as possible! As for the creation of the beef hash, I vividly remember our big cast iron skillet cooking away with copious amounts of salt, some bacon grease, onions and hamburger, and diced potatoes from leftover baked potatoes.
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| Cast Iron Skillet – Secret Weapon or Red Herring? |
Thinking the pan was the secret weapon, I busted out my cast iron skillet, pitted from past misuse and in desperate need of seasoning, but I didn’t have time. So, in went half an onion and a pound of organic hamburger. I boiled some potatoes in parallel for about 15 minutes, diced them, mixed in with the hamburger and voila, Retro Hamburger Hash! Would that it were a resounding success, but it tasted nothing like Mom’s. The store-bought hamburger was, well, pathetically small from being too finely ground and lacked mouth feel and body. As my brother would say, “It sucked scissors,” and at $6.99 a pound, I would say BIG scissors!
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| Retro-Hamburger Hash |
Determined to reclaim my childhood, but interested in a gourmet version of this, I decided to make homemade ground beef. Several months ago, I bought an old-fashioned hand-crank meat grinder and Googled a few ideas for cuts of beef, ratios and grind. The results have been deeply satisfying – I know where the ground beef came from and the resulting dishes have been a quantum leap above store bought stuff – organic or otherwise – and cheaper per pound than organic wannabes.
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| Hand-Cranked Ground Beef |
Next, I decided an earthy, mushroom flavor was in order and thought of a beef stroganoff I had made with sumptuous mushrooms in a thick, sauce that screamed umami. Once that idea took hold, I was off to the races with Yukon Gold potatoes bringing up the rear. The finishing touch was the creme fraiche and dill which provided creamy moisture and a touch of vibrant color.
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| Umami-Laden Mushroom Mixture – Yum! |
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| Perfect Yukon Gold Potatoes – Golden with some Crust |
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| Homemade Ground Beef & Cognac Mushroom Hash |
After taking the first bite, I can honestly say this may beat my Smoked Salmon Hash. All the pieces came together in a rich, earthy, and satisfying melange with epic flavor! I hope you try this out and enjoy it as much as I did!
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Happy Hashcapades,
Clark
Hmmmm, I'm sure the hand-cranked with mushrooms and extra ingredients was better tasting, but amazing how a few specks of green, plus the garnish of creme fraiche and some fresh dill even makes is LOOK better. The importance of food styling.
Thanks, Jeff! The mushrooms had a major dark color too to help with contrast. This is really, really tasty!