Hash used to be a dirty word, and to call a restaurant a hash house still has an unsavory connotation. That’s because dubious eateries of yore used to make hash out of any old scraps that appeared in the kitchen, including mystery meat of unknown provenance. But the fact is that well-made hash is one of the great blue-plate meals of the American kitchen. It is especially typical of thrifty New England kitchens because it is a waste-not dish, made from leftovers. If it is made from yesterday’s boiled dinner—and if that dinner was the classic configuration containing beets—it will be red flannel hash, so named because of beet juice’s ability to turn all it touches a deep pink color reminiscent of comfortable flannel pajamas. Corned beef adds its own crimson hue, the two reds punctuated by pieces of potato and caramelized onion. Bacon frequently is added, especially if the corned beef is lean.
Red flannel hash is closely associated with New England, but we found this excellent example at Rick & Ann’s Coffee Shop in Berkeley, California.