The Grocery in Northampton used to save the ends of corned beef and pastrami and make hash out of it. This is my version. Wayne Brachman, one of the three partners, became a top-rated pastry chef in New York. You can occasionally see him on the Food Channel. What the deli world lost, the pastry world gained.
If you can get ends of pastrami and corned beef from your local deli counter, all the better. Chop those into irregular chunks instead of the neater cubes the recipe describes.
1 pound corned beef, cut in ½-inch thick slices
1 pound pastrami, cut in ½-inch thick slices
1 large Spanish onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
Paprika, salt and pepper to taste
Dice the corned beef and pastrami into cubes. Slice the onion and chop into ½-inch dice. Peel and mince the garlic.
Heat the butter or oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it is transparent. Add the garlic, and when the garlic is fragrant, add the corned beef and pastrami. Mix well and cook until it is browned and slightly crusty. Stir and let the bottom crust again. Sprinkle with the paprika and pepper. Use the salt sparingly — the meats have a lot of salt in them. The finished hash should have crusty bits scattered through it.
Serve with poached or fried eggs for breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner.
