Beef Hash, US Army, 1910

-

Beef Hash, US Army, 1910-1941

The word hash is derived from the French hachis, a dish of chopped ingredients. Hachis is in turn derived from the Old French verb hacher, to chop up. Recipes for hash appeared in the US Army’s first cookbook in 1879. The “Dry Hash” recipe evolved into the “Beef Hash” recipe which saw service in World War 1. Hash was a common dish in the US military for many years. It was simple, took little preparation time, and utilized meat scraps.

 

Scraps of beef or pork, or a mixture of both, or corned beef (fresh or canned) may be used. A small amount of garlic was added to the recipe in 1935, but other than that this version of beef hash remained in use until 1942.

 

Yield: 4 servings.

US                           Metric                     Ingredients                             

16 oz                       450 g                       potatoes

2 oz                         60 g                         onions

16 oz                       450 g                       meat scraps, fresh

13 fl oz                    380 ml                     beef stock

to taste                     to taste                     salt

to taste                     to taste                     pepper

 

Procedure

1.      Chop the ingredients fine.

2.      Add enough beef stock so that the mixture is of the consistency of ordinary mush (“ordinary mush” has the consistency of thick oatmeal, grits or polenta; the mixture should not be runny).

3.      Place in a well-greased pan.*

4.      Smooth the top and grease lightly.

5.      Bake in a 400°F oven for 1 to 1½ hours. Most of the liquid will have evaporated and the top will be lightly browned.

 

Variations

 

Beef Hash, 1935 version

Add ¼ small clove of garlic, minced.

 

Corned Beef Hash

For convenience, I scaled the following version of hash to use one 12-ounce can of corned beef. Please note that since canned corned beef is already salted, take care to not add too much salt.

 

 

Corned Beef Hash, US Army, WW1  


Yield: 3 servings.

US                           Metric                     Ingredients                             

12 oz                       340 g                       potatoes

1½ oz                      45 g                         onions

12 oz                       340 g                       canned corned beef

10 fl oz                    285 ml                     beef stock

to taste                     to taste                     salt

to taste                     to taste                     pepper

 

Procedure

1.      Chop the potatoes and onions fine.

2.      Add the corned beef and beef stock.

3.      Place in a well-greased pan.

4.      Smooth the top and grease lightly.

5.      Bake in a 400°F oven for 1 to 1½ hours. Most of the liquid will have evaporated and the top will be lightly browned.


*Choose a pan size that will allow about 2-3 inches (5-75 cm) depth of uncooked hash.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“C-Rat” Pound Cake, US Army, 1958-1980

-
Image
  MCI (“C-Rat”) Pound Cake, US Army, 1958-1980   After 1958, the US military ended procurement of C-Rations. The replacement was the Meal, Combat, Individual (abbreviated MCI), which was produced from 1958 until 1980, when they began to be phased out of service in preparation for replacement by another gustatory delight, the MRE. The MCI was not the same as the C-Ration, and was never officially designated as such. Although MCI cases were marked with a large “C”, it was not because they were C-Rations. “C” was the U.S. Armed Forces subclass designation for Combat Rations under the category of supply Class I -  Subsistence. Subsistence subclasses were: A - Nonperishable C - Combat Rations R - Refrigerated S - Other Nonrefrigerated W – Water   But history has shown us that soldiers have always been, and continue to be, practical and pragmatic creatures. Here the train of thought was that if it looks like a C-Rat, it tastes like a C-Rat, it comes in cans like a C-Rat, a...
Read more

Maconochie Stew, British Army, WW1

-
Image
  Meat & Vegetable Ration (M and V Ration), aka Maconochie Stew, British Army, 1900-1918   22 ounces of  M&V Ration (reproduction)    From the late 1800s until World War 2, the British Army contracted several commercial canneries to produce the “Meat and Vegetable Ration”. Most famous of these was the Maconochie company, whose name became universally applied to the M and V Ration. As with many military rations throughout history, in World War 1 Maconochie was overused and often eaten cold, which led to its being awarded a perhaps undeserved reputation as a culinary perversion.   The directions on the can stated that “Contents may be eaten hot or cold”, and that the unopened can should be heated in boiling water for 30 minutes. Under most frontline circumstances, this method of heating would prove to be a ludicrous recommendation. The average Tommy of the First World War would undoubtedly have not-so-politely begged to differ about the “eaten cold” s...
Read more

Tushonka Recipe, 1941

-
Image
  Tushonka, Soviet Army & Navy, 1941 Reproduction tushonka labels. Tushonka is a Russian canned stewed and spiced meat, most commonly pork or beef.  285 million pounds of pork tushonka were produced in the United States during WW2, to Soviet specifications, for Lend-Lease shipment to the USSR.  Tushonka is more fatty and gelatinous than either corned beef or SPAM (another great Lend-lease delicacy). Tushonka was commonly used in recipes with buckwheat, potatoes or pasta, or eaten with bread. Tushonka was also adopted as a Soviet Army slang term for tank crew members.       The canned version of tushonka was what was used in military cooking, but it may be difficult to find in many areas of the U.S. This recipe that will produce an authentic tushonka to use in Soviet recipes from the WW2 era..       Do not add more water than is called for in the recipe. As long as you do not overheat the pot, the liquid from the meat will b...
Read more