You can't rush hash … but you sure can vary it - recipes

Sunset, Nov, 1990

A dish of humble origins, well-made hash is nevertheless widely appreciated. The secret of its goodness has much to do with your patience as a cook. Whether you prepare it scrambled or in patties, you can't rush the flavorful step of browning. Here are three variations. While corned beef and potatoes may be the best-known hash ingredients, any leftover meat and potatoes-or even rice-will do. The first recipe is a seasoned mixture of pork and rice. The second is a lightened-up combination of chicken and rice with spinach, and the last stars roast beef and potato.

Piquant Pork Hash with Papaya

1 1/2 cups diced trimmed cooked pork

2 cups cooked short- or medium-grain rice

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

1/2 cup chopped green onion

2 fresh small jalapeno chilies, stemmed, seeded, and minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro coriander)

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (or 2 tablespoons rice vinegar mixed with 2 teaspoons sugar)

2 large (about 2 1/4 lb., total) firm-ripe papayas, seeded, peeled, and each cut lengthwise into 6 wedges

3 green onions, ends trimmed (optional)

Salt and pepper

Whirl pork in a food processor until coarsely ground; or mince with a knife. In a bowl, mix pork, rice, carrot, onion, chilies, and cilantro.

Melt butter in a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add pork mixture. With a wide spatula, flatten mixture to an even thickness in pan. Cook until browned on bottom, about 5 minutes. With the spatula, turn over bash in large sections. Cook until browned on bottom, then occasionally stir hash until browned bits are well scattered through it, 7 to 10 minutes longer. Stir in vinegar.

Mound hash equally onto 3 or 4 dinner plates. Arrange papaya wedges equally on plates. Garnish with whole onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 3 or 4.

Per serving: 356 cal.; 16 g protein; 12 g fat; 44 g carbo.; 84 mg sodium; 59 mg chol.

Chicken Hash Patties with Spinach

2 slices bacon, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup cold cooked chunks of boned and skinned chicken or turkey

2 cups cooked short- or medium-grain rice

1 cup firmly packed, rinsed and drained spinach leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, stir bacon, garlic, and onion frequently until mixture is lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

In a food processor or with a knife, coarsely chop chicken and 1/2 cup rice. Put in a bowl and add bacon mixture, remaining rice, spinach, salt and pepper to taste. Beat eggs to blend; stir into meat mixture. Shape into 8 patties, each inch thick.

Wipe frying pan clean. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 or 4 patties and cook until bottoms are browned, about 4 minutes. With a wide spatula, gently turn patties and cook until brown on other side, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer to dinner plates and keep warm. Repeat to cook remaining patties. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 395 cal.; 18 g protein; 20 g fat 33 g carbo.; 244 mg sodium; 168 mg chol.

Beef Hash with Horseradish Cream

2 cups (about 3/4 lb.) chopped fat-trimmed cooked beef, such as a roast or steak

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 large onion, chopped

2 large (about 1 1/2 lb. total) russet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and shredded

1 large (about 1/2 lb.) red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

Horseradish cream (recipe follows)

Salt and pepper

In a food processor or with a knife, coarsely chop meat.

In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir often until limp, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and pepper; stir often until browned, about 20 minutes.

Stir meat into pan. With a spatula, press mixture into an even thickness. Cook until bottom is browned, about 5 minutes. With the spatula, turn over hash in large sections. Let brown on bottom, about 7 minutes longer.

Transfer to dinner plates and accompany with horseradish cream; add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Per serving: 338 cal.; 28 g protein; 12 g fat; 28 g carbo.; 124 mg sodium; 81 mg chol.

Horseradish cream. Stir together 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Per tablespoon: 25 cal; 0 g protein; 2.4 g fat; 0 g carbo.; 8.9 mg sodium; 5 mg chol.