The Stendler: Leftover Corned Beef to the Rescue

Do you still have a bit of leftover corned beef from St. Patrick's Day?  Wondering how to use it up?

Well, if you're not in the mood for a sandwich, or some delicious Reuben risotto, why not try making up a delicious breakfast burrito?

Cuz that's what we did with some of ours.  This beauty happens to be fashioned after a particularly delicious brunch option served over at The Comet Cafe here in Milwaukee.  It's called "The Stendler" and it features a grande flour tortilla packed full of hashed brown potatoes, corned beef, swiss cheese, creamy scrambled eggs, and a drizzle of Siracha.

Seems we're oft-inspired by the folks over at Comet. But, really, can you blame us? After all, they serve up some of the best comfort food and diner fare in the city, including that oh-so-inspiring Buttafuoco -- that delicious broiled tomato sammich with hot peppers, provolone, and plenty of crisp lettuce.  And, they rely on local ingredients whenever possible.  I call that a win-win!

Although we love to patronize local establishments whenever possible, sometimes we also love to enjoy a cozy weekend brunch at home.  And this dish, combined with the option of being able to sit around all morning sipping coffee in your warm cozy pj's, makes the whole notion of sticking around the house pretty appealing. 

Of course, we just HAVE to make a few tweeks. Rather than taking the time to grate up potatoes and fry up hashbrowns, we actually prefer a more rustic and flavorful option: roasted potatoes.   On a normal day, I'd add rosemary to these potatoes for an added flavor punch. But, today, we'll just keep them simple so that the other flavors in the Stendler can shine through.

First, you'll want to chop up a potato or two, toss them with olive oil, and throw them in a 425º oven for 20-25 minutes until they're crisped and golden on the outside and super creamy on the inside.

When the hot potatoes come out of the oven, I like to toss them with a bit of salt and some nice, freshly ground pepper.  To be honest, this is probably my favorite part of the whole dish. In fact, even if you don't have any corned beef on hand, I'd recommend you make up a batch of these for breakfast some Saturday morning, just for the heckofit.

You'll also need to whip up some scrambled eggs.  I like to melt a bit of butter in a nonstick pan and cook the eggs slowly over medium-low heat so that they cook through, but don't become dry. If you do it right, the eggs take on a custard-like consistency that's just perfect for breakfast burritos.

Layer some grated cheese (we like plain old Swiss, but Irish Dubliner is a real treat here), the roasted potatoes, some leftover corned beef, and your scrambled eggs into a nice big (warmed) flour tortilla.  If you like a bit of heat, you can also also drizzle a bit of extra Siracha inside the burrito before rolling it up.

What you end up with is another fusion dish that really brings new meaning to the idea of corned beef hash.

If you like a crispy tortilla, you can rub the finished burrito with a little bit of olive oil and place it into a 375º oven for 15-20 minutes.  But, you can also sprinkle on the Sirach and dig right in.

See all those layers of corned beef and potato goodness?

I'm a big fan of the Reuben sandwich, but the Stendler probably comes in at a close second.  And it definitely ranks right up there when it comes to fantastic weekend breakfasts.

Yum.


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