Chorizo & Sweet Potato Hash

There is no denying that fall has arrived. The hillsides surrounding the harbor are crimson and gold. The deer have changed their hue from a reddish brown to a muted grey brown. The evenings are crisp, and mornings are even chillier. I feel the need to eat root vegetables. It's just what happens. It's a natural transition. I am also transitioning into heartier meals, the kind that sticks to your ribs and prepares you  for the winter to come. We had a hike in mind the other morning, exploring the small peaks in Grand Portage and viewing the colorful leaves. I new we needed a hearty breakfast, and hash came to mind. I love the flavor combination of spicy, salty, smokey chorizo and the sweet, earthiness of sweet potatoes. I set out to make chorizo and sweet potato hash.

This recipe is a great addition to your cool weather collection. I combined sweet potatoes, buttery yukon gold potatoes, chorizo, and caramelized onions. I topped the hash with some over easy eggs and a small dollop of fresh goat cheese. Fresh chopped herbs such as sage or chives would be great too. You have to trust me when I say that this dish is easy to pull off. I had a few eager hikers pacing my kitchen, and was able to put this together without putting us behind schedule!

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 pound chorizo
1 small onion, diced
 *eggs, optional
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Fill a medium pot with about 6 cups of water, place on high heat, and bring the water to a boil.
While you wait for the water to boil, prepare the potatoes and sweet potatoes. Once the water is ready, place the prepared potatoes and sweet potatoes into the boiling water and cook them fro about 5 minutes, or until they are just becoming tender. Strain the potatoes and sweet potatoes, and set aside.

In a large cast iron skillet or saute pan,  brown the chorizo. Remove the cooked chorizo from the pan and set aside, saving the renderings in the pan. If there appears to be a lot of fat left in the pan, drain some of it off, leaving about 3 tablespoons. Add the onions to the pan, and allow them to caramelize.

Once the onions have caramelized, add the potatoes and sweet potatoes to the pan. Allow them to develop a nice browning before you stir them about the pan. I like to get a crisp edge on my potatoes, and it's easy to achieve if you let them start to brown before you shuffle them around the pan. Once the potatoes start to brown, add the chorizo back into the pan, and scramble all of the ingredients together in the pan. At this point your hash is done. I cracked a few eggs on top of my hash and placed the pan in a 400 degree oven, and allowed the eggs to cook for about 5 minutes. I garnished the whole lot with a few dollops of fresh goat cheese and a hearty amount of fresh cracked pepper.

Alter your hash recipes with what you have on hand. I was thinking that beets would be a great addition, or any root vegetable you may be harvesting form your garden. You could also serve this hash with a hearty amount of chili sauce and some warmed tortillas for a more 'on the go' sort of breakfast. Keep the ingredients top notch and the recipe simple. Belly up!!