Hash (cooking)

In cooking, hash is a broad term for meat dishes in which small pieces of meat are mixed with similarly-sized pieces of potatoes, spices, and other ingredients. The mixture is then fried as a single mass as opposed to being formed into smaller patties. Many connoisseurs declare that the ingredients for hash should be hand-diced or minced rather than ground,

Well-made hashes are fried until at least part of the meat and vegetables are partially brown and crispy. The mixture may be stirred until the pieces are browned on all sides, until one side forms a "pancake" with a crust. Some cooks may then turn the "pancake" so that the other side also browns, and then serve wedges cut from the cooked mass. Alternatively, the hash may be cooked by broiling, or a mixture of broiling and frying. Cast iron or other pans with considerable thermal mass usually work best.

(CC) Photo: Hayford Peirce
Steaming the ingredients for a New England Boiled Dinner; the leftovers will be used for hash.

The main ingredients are usually precooked. Corned beef and roast beef are common; turkey hash is a popular way to use up leftovers from an American holiday meal. It really is essential for potatoes to have been cooked before reducing to small pieces; raw potatoes will rarely cook thoroughly in a typical hash preparation. Finely shredded potatoes may cook through, but at least partial pre-blanching in hot water is advisable.

Other ingredients vary with the creativity of the cook. Onions and black pepper are common. A New England dish called "red flannel hash" adds chopped beets, more for color but also adding sweetness, although some cooks will use pickled beets to add a sweet-and-sour accent. Salt may be added, but, especially when an pre-salted ingredient such as corned beef is used, additional salt should be added with discretion.

Hash dishes go well with eggs—a poached or fried egg served on top of each portion of hash is common. A green vegetable, such as spinach, can be a pleasant complement to them.