Mexican Chorizo Hash with Crispy Potatoes and Eggs
Red potatoes parboiled, dried and browned in the fat rendered from fresh Mexican chorizo, with garlic, serrano and paprika, the sausage folded back in and beaten eggs stirred through at the end. Served straight from the skillet with queso fresco, lime and salsa.
Ingredients
The Hash
- 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes about 4 large, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, skins on
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt for the boiling water
- 8 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo raw, squeezed out of its casing
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil only if the chorizo renders less than 3 tablespoons of fat
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt for the potatoes
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1/2 medium serrano pepper seeds and ribs removed, minced
- 4 large eggs beaten with a pinch of salt
- 2 medium scallions chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped, loosely packed
To Serve
- 2 ounces queso fresco crumbled
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- 1/2 cup salsa or hot sauce
Equipment
- Cast Iron Pan
- Medium Pot
Instructions
Parboil the Potatoes
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add the tablespoon of salt and the cubed potatoes, and cook 6 to 8 minutes from the moment the water returns to a simmer, until a knife slides in with slight resistance. Drain them and spread them on a clean towel to dry for five minutes.
Render the Chorizo
- Put the chorizo into a cold 12-inch skillet and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is cooked through to 160F and crisp at the edges, about 10 minutes. Lift it out with a slotted spoon onto a plate and leave every drop of the rendered fat in the pan.
Brown the Potatoes
- Raise the heat to medium-high. There should be about 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan; add the vegetable oil only if there is noticeably less. When it shimmers, add the potatoes in as close to a single layer as you can manage.
- Brown them 10 to 12 minutes, stirring only three or four times so a crust has a chance to form between stirs. Season with the teaspoon of salt, the paprika and the black pepper.
Finish with the Eggs
- Drop the heat to medium-low, stir in the garlic and serrano and cook one minute, then return the chorizo to the pan with any fat on the plate and toss it through the potatoes.
- Pour in the beaten eggs and stir for about a minute, until they are just set and still glossy. Take the pan off the heat, fold in the scallions and cilantro, and serve from the skillet with the queso fresco, lime wedges and salsa on the table.
Notes
The chorizo leaves the pan and then goes back in. It comes out so the potatoes can brown in its fat for ten minutes without the sausage scorching, and it returns before the eggs. Skipping the return is the mistake in most versions of this recipe.
Use a 12-inch skillet. A smaller pan steams the potatoes and they will never crisp.
Dry the parboiled potatoes on a towel for five minutes. Surface water becomes steam in the pan.
Stir the potatoes three or four times at most. Every stir resets the crust.
Fresh Mexican chorizo is raw and must be cooked through, to 160F. Cured Spanish chorizo is a different sausage: use about 6 ounces, diced, and add 2 tablespoons of oil, because it renders far less fat.
Make-ahead: parboil the potatoes and render the chorizo a day early. Add the eggs fresh.
Storage: 3 days refrigerated, reheated in a dry skillet.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 508kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 232mg | Sodium: 1010mg | Potassium: 900mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 420IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 3mg