Still tinned, but not the all-in-one-can stuff that -- in my opinion -- barely passes muster anymore. Nope, you start with one of the distinctive trapezoidal cans of South American (usually Argentine*) corned beef and a can of cubed, cooked potatoes.
Drain and rinse the potatoes (there's plenty of salt in this, don't pass up a chance to remove some. Is there a No Salt Added version of canned tatties? Try it!), and set them cooking at medium heat in a skillet with a very small amount of your favorite kitchen lubricant -- butter, oil, whatever. I used a kiss of Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil, because it was what I had ready to hand. You want just one layer of potatoes for best results. A little pepper or what-have-you won't hurt. At this point, you're just cooking moisture out of 'em. Shake or stir occasionally. Eventually the pan will be dry; mind they don't stick. Cook until they suit you; if they start to brown even a little, you'd better have the beef ready.
Untin the beef onto a (non-wooden) cutting board. You may have to pry, so mind the sharp edges! Cut it into cubes, 3/8" or so, push the potato to the edges of the skillet, and put the meat into the center. Mix it all up, spread evenly, and let it cook. It is ready to eat as soon as it it warmed through, though Tam and I prefer to let it get a little crunchy on the bottom. Top to taste -- I like scrambled egg on mine, but chopped fresh chives or green onion would be a nice addition, as would shredded cheese.
Shelf life of the canned ingredients is excellent -- I used the oldest can of corned beef in our pantry, good well into 2020. Stock a little and rotate through as a supplement to your emergency food supplies. In a pinch, you could eat this stuff cold: both ingredients are already cooked.
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* One of the minor ironies of the Falklands War was that it pitted the Brits against a leading producer of bully beef. Eat up, Tommy, it's tinned mutton tomorrow!
BUILDING A 1:1 BALUN
4 years ago
5 comments:
Fray Bentos has saved many things.
Works with mashed potatoes too: just flake the corned beef and stir into a bowl of mashed potatoes (room temp).
Brown in frying pan.
Top with whatever suits you-even just a dab of mustard will work.
"mind the edges" indeed.
Don't ask me how I know that.
It does seem to be a sad note of the times that the quality of many of the canned foods from the past has slipped. Even the canned corned beef, which used to be quite good here in MI, even the cheap brands, and could make a great sandwich, is marginal at best. I have to buy one of the gourmet looking brands, at high prices, to get something edible now. But it really is worth it. It is only the difference of 4 dollars to 6 dollars or so. I just am a cheapskate. I have some boiled potatoes and leftover chicken in the refrigerator. I might try a chicken hash, with some sweet paprika and maybe an onion or what else I can find tomorrow. Or maybe a frittata. Man, I am glad I ate before reading this. Or else I would go and try it now. Thanks for your recipes, by the way. You inspire quite often.
Sounds lovely..... but so does the fried Spam, which I may cook and share with the brat tomorrow. Spam and Eggs. Or... Spam, eggs, and Spam. Or... Spam, Spam, eggs, and Spam.
:) for all of you!
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