Morning-After Steak and Pepper Hash

When we received a request for steak and eggs at the men's shelter a few months ago, it didn't make our to-cook list for obvious reasons of economy.  Beyond that, we didn't think ourselves functional enough at seven in the morning to attempt steaks for a crowd of 30+.  So it was with great anticipation that we left a recent grill-out with enough surplus steak kabab to do something interesting for a day-after breakfast. 

The kebab was cut from sirloin top roast (not sirloin tip roast) which yields a a tender bite when marinated overnight with something salty and/or acidic (in our case, plain yogurt mixed with a lemon juice marinade).  Our take-home after the grill-out was about 4lbs of beef.  If you're planning your surplus ahead of time (i.e. overshooting at your next BBQ), purchase about 4-1/2 lbs of beef as you'll loose some water weight on the grill.

Hash wouldn't be hash without an egg or two resting on top.  If there's an easier way to cook eggs than described below, we haven't discovered it.  We came across this method when surfing for "easy eggs" and haven't looked back.  It makes deliciously simple baked eggs with or without a runny yolk at your discretion.  We found that it's best to serve some eggs runny and some firm as guest preferences diverge on this topic.  One area where guest preference may not diverge so much-- you'll most likely find that a group of 30 men really enjoys steak and eggs for breakfast.  We hope you do, too.




MORNING-AFTER STEAK AND PEPPER HASH

Serves 30

• 10 lbs frozen potato wedges or steak fries (we like Trader Joe's Crinkle Cut) 
• 4 lbs day-after grilled beef sirloin top roast, cut into in 1/2" cubes
• 4 TBS unsalted butter
• 4 TBS canola oil
• 2 poblano peppers, finely diced
• 2 red bell peppers, finely diced
• 2 green bell peppers, finely diced
• 2 orange or yellow bell peppers, finely diced
• 4 large yellow onions, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

The night before: 

Grill sirloin until medium.   Remove from grill, cover with foil and allow to rest.  When cool enough to handle, chop sirloin into 1/2" cubes.  If you're grilling more than a few days ahead of time, place cubed sirloin in a tightly sealed, freezer safe ziplock bag (or double bag) and freeze for up to one month.  Set beef in the refrigerator the night before your breakfast to defrost until morning.

In the morning:

Preheat flattop grill to medium-high heat.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a full-size hotel pan on a warming shelf to preheat.

Prepare peppers, onions and garlic as described above.  Add butter and canola oil to flattop grill and heat until bubbles have subsided.  Add peppers and onions and saute until lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Add the reserved sirloin to the grill and cook until heated through.  Be careful not to overcook as the meat will become dry.  Transfer the steak and pepper mixture to the preheated hotel pan and cover tightly.

While peppers are cooking, arrange potato wedges in single layers on several sheet pans, being careful not to crowd the pans.  Roast potatoes until the edges have become browned and crispy.  Remove pans from the oven and transfer potatoes to a clean, dry cutting board.  Working in batches with a large chef's knife, roughly chop potatoes into thirds and immediately transfer to the hotel pan with the steak and peppers, laying the potatoes on top of the other ingredients in the pan.  Just before serving, mix potatoes into the other ingredients until well combined.   Serve steaming hot, topped off with a pair of eggs (recipe below) and sprinkled with a garnish of fresh parsley.   Be sure to offer a bottle or two of hot sauce at the table.

EGGS FOR A CROWD

Makes 64 eggs, or 2 per person

• Olive oil and basting brush OR non-stick cooking spray
• 64 large eggs
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Spray the inside of (6) 12-count muffin tins with non-stick spray or brush the compartments with olive oil making sure to get full coverage on the pans.  Break one egg into each muffin slot and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer pans to hot oven and bake until egg whites are set and yolks have reached your desired degree of firmness.  Cooking times will vary greatly depending on your oven, but will probably range from 10-15 minutes.  Remove pans from oven and allow eggs to rest for several minutes.  Using a butter knife or very small spatula, loosen the egg from the pan and gently remove with a spoon.  Serve immediately or transfer eggs to a pre-heated, covered hotel pan to keep warm until ready to serve.

[One note:  you may have to BYO muffin tins as many shelter kitchens will not stock the pans, but it's well worth the effort.]