Hash

Hachée
Makes 6 servings

The traditional recipe demands a cooking time of 3 to 4 hours in a large quantity of butter. I opt for only two hours and use a lot less butter. My butcher taught me to add the shallots just for cooking and take them out afterwards. This makes it a lot easier on your stomach.

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 120 minutes

Shopping List:

• 1 kg lean stewing steak
• flour, a handful
• 50 gr butter
• 750 gr shallots, peeled
• 4 Ts wine vinegar [white or red is up to you]
• 750 ml beer
• 1 Ts sugar
• mustard
• 2 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed
• 3 onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves
• 6 juniper berries
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

TO MAKE:

1. Cut the meat into large cubes about 2.5 cm / 1 inch.
2. Put the meat in a plastic bag with a handful of flour and shake, so all cubes are covered
3. Take a heavy casserole [Dutch oven] and sear the pieces of meat in the butter over high heat
4. Take out the meat and fry the peeled whole shallots over low heat
5. Next add the meat to the shallots and stir, then add the beer, sugar, some salt, bay leaves, cloves, and juniper berries
6. Smear the slices of whole wheat bread with mustard, cut them in pieces and add those to the stew too
7. Let everything simmer for two hours
8. Cut the onions into slices and only add them after an hour and a half
9. Take the whole shallots out when the dish is ready
10. Spice it up with freshly ground black pepper

Note 1: It is usually served with red cabbage with apples, apple sauce and mashed potatoes.

Note 2: Hash is stewed meat that owes it characteristic taste to typically Dutch spices like juniper berry, bay leaves and cloves, and in this recipe a considerable quantity of beer.

ENJOY !

PDF of this recipe: 20110630_Hash