I was sitting in a booth at the Lincoln Del with my friend Randee on the day they closed in 2000. It was a sad day eating my last Grilled Reuben. I grew up within walking distance of the original “Del” on Minnetonka Boulevard in St. Louis Park as it was called and remember saving my allowance so I could eat there on Saturday afternoons before taking in a matinee at the St. Louis Park Theatre. It’s hard to pinpoint what people loved about the Del – as everything, from the bakery counter to the restaurant was exceptional. Cakes, breads, deli sandwiches, soups ….the Del mastered them all.
Wendi Zelkin Rosenstein wrote a book commemorating her grandfather’s restaurant. The Lincoln Del Cookbook (2017) is packed with stories and recipes from the legendary Del. It had to have been a challenge trying to reconfigure the restaurant’s recipes for home use. And while I’ve read some complaints about certain recipes not working, I can share that the one for Beef Barley Soup with Dumplings is the perfect reenactment of that favorite!
With leftover corned beef (if you have been reading my blog, you know corned beef was on my menu for St. Patrick’s Day) – I decided to try the corned beef hash recipe – another of my Del favorites. I am including that recipe – and pictures of course – along with the adjustments I made. There are benefits to have been cooking for as many years as I have! The end result was spectacular! Not sure it was up to Lincoln Del standards – but nonetheless delicious!
Corned Beef Hash
¼ to ½ pound medium-fat corned beef, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 large baking potatoes, cooked, peeled and chopped (I baked only three potatoes and didn’t add the entire third one)
Salt and pepper (to taste – and do taste and season accordingly)
1 egg beaten
Wrap the sliced corned beef in foil and place in a 350 degree oven to warm for 5 minutes. (Not sure why this step is included but I just tossed the chopped corned beef in a bowl and microwaved it on high for a minute). Preheat 8-inch skillet (Seriously? Not nearly big enough; I used a 10-inch cast iron pan) over high heat, then add canola oil, onions and potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook potatoes until crispy on the bottom and sides (about 10 minutes). Add the warmed corned beef and beaten egg to the pan and mix well. Flip the hash to brown the other side (I flipped half at a time; if you have those skills, by all means flip the whole panful). Remove from heat, slip hash into an aluminum pie pan; place upside down on a plate, and use paper towel to press out any excess oil before serving. (I served it right from the pan with a poached egg on top – of course. Two tablespoons is not a lot of oil for that amount of ingredients – end result was not in the least bit greasy).
Do check out the book – on sale on line and in bookstores.
connieiscooking 
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