We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
When foodies sit down to breakfast at their favorite diners, there’s probably a good chance that corned beef hash is on the menu. The dish has an unshakable place in the classic American comfort food oeuvre, whether homemade or canned. After all, in the U.S., every September 27 is celebrated as National Corned Beef Hash Day. But, one brand of the canned stuff has fallen to the wayside over the years, which means the name “Armour Star” probably won’t ring a bell unless you grew up during the 1950s.
Corned beef hash first arrived in the U.S. during the 1800s with the culinary traditions of Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from northern Europe. But, the dish didn’t see its majorly popular U.S. debut until WWII, when resourceful home cooks worked to stretch limited meat rations. Post-war kitchens across the nation continued placing a special focus on canned goods during this period, and Armour Star Corned Beef Hash arrived right on time — innovatively packing a complete, ready-to-heat meal into a convenient can. For a retro formulation, Armour Star’s hash boats a pretty straightforward ingredients list: beef, rehydrated potatoes, and water, plus 2% or less of salt, sugar, seasoning (natural flavors, dextrose), and sodium nitrite, a common additive in other tinned meats like SPAM (which, incidentally, also enjoyed a boom in the U.S. during the 1950s).
Read more: 15 Old-School Diner Foods That You Don’t See On Menus Anymore
Armour Star Corned Beef Hash gave post-war cooking a convenient facelift
Can of Armour Star Corned Beef Hash – Armour/Amazon
A post in the Facebook group “The Fabulous Fifties” is filled with nostalgic comments about Armour Star from folks who ostensibly grew up during the era. “Back in the mid-’50s we ate this with toast,” shared one poster. Others agreed, stating, “Used to love this on toast.” Another claimed, “This was a staple when I was growing up.”
In more ways than one, Armour Star Corned Beef Hash was a product of its time. An official brand advertisement from the 1950s depicts a photo of a woman peering into a silver tureen of warm corned beef hash, with a perplexed-looking man staring at her from stage right. The caption reads, “If you tiptoed into the dining room of an executive men’s club [and] took a peek, you’d find one dish is always on the menu — in practically any place men like to eat. That dish is corned beef hash. Men like hash. Always have, always will. […] Now you can buy corned beef hash made exactly the way men like to have it — Armour Star’s Corned Beef Hash.” Woof!
But, even if people weren’t all that different 70 years ago, the times certainly were. After all, the tuna salad sandwich became the deli staple it is today because working women of the early-1900s weren’t allowed to eat their lunches in the same pubs as men. “Hooray” for culinary innovation growing from jagged concrete like a lone wildflower.
Armour Star faded with the times as canned hash competitors rose
1950s ad for Armour Star Corned Beef Hash – Peter Spencer/Facebook
For retro-minded foodies, Armour Star Corned Beef Hash is still sold by retailers from Dollar General ($3.20 per 14-ounce can) to Publix ($3.31) and Walmart ($4.50). The price is certainly right, even if it is a bit more expensive. Another macho-motifed Armour Star advertisement (reportedly from 1962) reads, “Corned Beef Hash like men order for lunch. That’s the kind Armour makes […] a meaty main dish for less than 14¢ a serving.” The ad also depicts a photo of the corned beef hash served in a skillet and topped with a few fried eggs. The runny yolk of a sunny-side up egg cascades over the hash for a luscious textural component for interested foodies.
At one time, the brand was seemingly a nationwide staple. The aforementioned 1950s advertisement even includes a blurb calling Armour Star “the largest selling hash in the United States.” Alas, over the years, Armour Star has largely fallen to the wayside of competitor canned corned beef hash brands like Hormel, which first hit shelves in 1950 and still dominates modern supermarkets today. Or, ultimately, maybe Armour Star just wasn’t (or isn’t) as good as other canned corned beef hash brands. Multiple customer reviews on retailer websites like Amazon, Walmart, and Dollar General all mention Armour Star’s low price point, but describe the hash as unpleasantly greasy and oily. The chauvinistic ad campaigns also probably had a tough time transcending into the modern market, but we digress.
Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we’re helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Dining and Cooking