Shared by Margit Sheftelowitz
Biksemad (Danish Beef and Potato Hash)
Yield: 4 servingsBiksemad (Danish Beef and Potato Hash)
Yield: 4 servingsFamily Journey
This recipe was shared by Margit Sheftelowitz. Read more about her family in "How a Christmas Dessert Became a Hanukkah Sweet" and try her recipes for aebleskiver (doughnuts), and risalamande (rice pudding).
Margit was raised in a traditional Danish home, inflected by family roots in Germany; nothing went to waste. Leftover roasts would find their way into biksemad, a hash of sorts made with potatoes, that’s popular in Scandinavia. Margit still remembers a restaurant in Copenhagen that was famous for it. Today, she makes the dish even when she doesn’t have leftovers that need to be used up. She makes it for visitors and when she has friends over for New Years. “You do it in between,” she explains. “It doesn’t belong to a special holiday.” Still, it is an excellent way to use up leftovers from Hanukkah if your family celebrates with a roast. You can use any leftover roast, or make a fresh batch using the recipe below.
Ingredients
For the pot roast
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 ¼ pound chuck beef
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¾ cups water
For the hash
- 4 medium red bliss or Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 ¼ pound pot roast
- 1 cup pot roast sauce
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 eggs
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 440 degrees.
Step 2
Make the pot roast: Evenly sprinkle the chopped onion into a large roasting pan or a deep baking dish. With a knife, cut five slits throughout the beef. Tuck in a garlic clove into each slit. Liberally season the beef with salt and pepper. Place the beef into the roasting pan. Drizzle the oil into the pan over the onions. Cook the beef for about 15 minutes and transfer the roasting pan out of the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Pour ¾ cup water into the pan and transfer the roasting pan back into the oven. Roast for another hour and 30 minutes until the beef is cooked through and browned. Set the roast aside and save all the pan juices. Once the pot roast is cool enough to handle, chop it into 1 inch cubes.
Step 3
Prepare the potatoes: Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and cook the potatoes for about 30 minutes until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and transfer to a cutting board. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and chop them into 1 inch cubes.
Step 4
Make the pot roast sauce: In a small pot, heat the leftover roasting pan juices with the worcestershire sauce, over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until combined. Once the sauce boils, add in the cornstarch mixture and stir until the sauce thickens, about 1 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
Step 5
Make the hash: Place a large saucepan over medium to medium-heat. Once the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons of oil and place the onion on the pan. Cook the onions until they have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes into the pan and saute until they have browned, another 5 minutes. Add the chopped pot roast, salt, pepper and half of the pot roast sauce. Mix well and let the mixture cook for another 5 minutes, until all the components are coated with the sauce. Add more sauce if needed.
Step 6
Fry the eggs: Place a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Place 1 to 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the pan. Crack one egg into a bowl and pour it into the pan, continue with the remaining 3 eggs. Season the eggs with salt. Fry the eggs until the bottom of the eggs have browned and the egg whites have set.
Step 7
To serve, pour about two scoops of hash onto a plate and place one fried egg on top for each serving.