Chaotic Spinach Hash

The story behind this one is surprisingly magical, and this is my go-to dish when I want to engage in culimancy: the art of cooking magic. This dish was born in my old life, when I would have told you I couldn't cook to save my life. During that time, one of the few dishes I was allowed to make exclusively on a regular basis was a disgusting mash of canned corned beef, canned spinach, canned mushrooms, crushed ramen noodles, and shredded cheddar cheese, all fried up in a wok and put together in a big bowl. We always thought it was tasty, which was why we had it again and again; but its consistency made it look as though it had been digested and regurgitated. I called it "fried vomit," while she felt the name "wok-n-puke" fit it more appropriately. And as for its healthiness…between the fact that it all came from cans, and the way I would add crushed ramen noodles to it to absorb the excess water from the cans, this dish was probably a salt bomb.
After the fall of 2010 I began experimenting with cooking, and in January of 2011 I acquired one of my favorite kitchen tookls: the Lodge cast iron 14-inch wok. In short order, this recipe changed into something much more appealing, and I hope more delicious. This disgusting pile of mash changed into a take on corned beef hash that is far more appealing, and delicious. It's one of my favorite stir-fry dishes, and this is a recipe I gladly make as breakfast for guests staying overnight at my home.
Pans needed: Large stir-frying pan, such as a wok or deep skillet.

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons stir frying oil
  • 2 decent-sized potatoes, preferably golden or white potatoes
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 15-ounce can corned beef hash
  • Or, 1 pound cooked corned beef (2 pounds uncooked corned beef), if available. Canned corned beef is far less expensive than fresh corned beef, unless you make it yourself. However, the taste difference is worth the effort: canned corned beef will give you a satisfying and tasty hash, but freshly cooked corned beef will result in a truly outstanding hash.
  • 1 10-ounce bag of fresh spinach
  • 4 oz. (half a pack) of fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • Grated or crumbled cheese, your choice; I prefer feta or romano; or sour cream or greek yogurt
If you’re using fresh corned beef brisket rather than canned hash, the corned beef needs to be cooked in advance, to the point where it can easily be pulled apart. Use a slow cooker or a dutch oven to cook the corned beef overnight (or 6 to 8 hours), using this very simple recipe:
  • Place an uncooked corned beef brisket, 2 to 3 pounds in size, into your slow cooker, crock pot or dutch oven.
  • Coat the surface of the corned beef with 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder.
  • Place the dutch oven into your oven, and heat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Or, cover your crock pot or slow cooker and set to low heat.
  • Slow-cook overnight, or 6 to 8 hours, until the corned beef is thoroughly cooked and falling apart.
  • Remove the corned beef and shred it, so it can be used in the hash.
Place a large cast iron skillet (or cast iron wok) on your stovetop, and heat the burner to about 2/3 of maximum. (That's all you need to set the temperature to -- you don't have to blast your burner at maximum.)
Chop up the potatoes into thin, small pieces.. Press or crush the garlic, chop it up, and put it aside. Chop up the mushrooms into a small bowl.
Don't add the oil until the wok is hot. Wait until you can flick a few drops of water into the bottom of the wok, and watch them sizzle instantly and evaporate in one to two seconds. Cover the bottom with about a quarter inch of stir frying oil, and wait one minute for the oil to heat up.
Fry the potatoes in the oil until they've begun to soften, and you can easily cut a piece of potato with your spatula. Dump the can of hash on top of the potatoes, and mix them up for about three to five minutes until the hash is soft and cooking. Add the fresh spinach on top of that, and mix it all together. As you mix it over the course of a few minutes, the spinach will absorb the moisture and change from big and leafy to the damp, soggy consistency you see when it's cooked or boiled. The potatoes and hash will blend together. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and keep on mixing the entire dish together until the mushrooms are soft, cooked, and no longer dry.
Serve in a large bowl, or two smaller bowls if you're feeding two. (I like to add fresh ground pepper at this point, because I love pepper.) Add grated or crumbled feta cheese on top. Alternately instead of cheese, use sour cream or Greek yogurt as a topping. The end result is a nice hash dish with extra flavor, very filling…and, no doubt, more healthy than canned ingredients. (Traditionally a fried egg is served on top of corned beef hash, but this dish actually tastes better without it.)
May 12, 2018: I was shocked and amazed to discover this tonight. When the Lodge 14-inch cast iron wok came out of the lye tank after a week, some of the seasoning had not been completely removed. The bottom of the wok and the sweet spot at the center were discolored. That wasn't a concern, as I only wanted to restore this pan to cooking condition; so I simply seasoned the wok as-is. And upon examining the wok tonight, I saw...THIS. I can't explain it. Is it related to how the metal was cast, perhaps? As a person who enjoys this hobby with the name of "Cast Iron Chaos," I am delighted and exhilarated to see this.

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