Alright, let’s talk about making hash browns on the Blackstone. I’ve been wanting to nail this for ages because, let’s be honest, those frozen ones just don’t cut it, and doing them in a pan indoors can be a real hit-or-miss situation. Usually a miss for me, ending up more like steamed potatoes than crispy goodness.
Getting Started – The Potato Prep
So, the first thing I did was grab my potatoes. I usually go for Russets; they just seem to work best for this kind of thing. I think I used about four medium-sized ones. I gave them a good wash, because, you know, dirt. Some people peel, some don’t. I peeled mine this time. Then came the shredding. I’ve got a food processor attachment, but honestly, I just used my trusty old box grater. It feels more hands-on, and I didn’t have a mountain of potatoes to get through.
Now, here’s the part I think is super, super important, and where I used to go wrong. Getting the moisture out. Seriously. I dumped all those lovely shredded potatoes into a clean kitchen towel – one of the thin, flour sack types works great. Then I twisted it up and squeezed the life out of them over the sink. You would not believe how much water comes out. If you skip this, you’re heading for mushy hash browns. We want crisp, people!
On The Griddle – Time to Cook
With the potatoes prepped and looking a lot less soggy, I headed out to the Blackstone. I fired that baby up, aiming for a good medium to medium-high heat. You want to hear a sizzle when the potatoes hit, but you don’t want to scorch them immediately. While it was heating, I got my oil ready. I went with a decent glug of vegetable oil, and because I like the flavor, I added a nice chunk of butter too, probably a couple of tablespoons. Spread that all over the hot surface.
Okay, griddle hot, oil shimmering. I took my big pile of squeezed potatoes and carefully spread them out on the griddle. I tried to keep it to a relatively thin, even layer. If you pile them too thick, the ones in the middle just steam. My goal was maximum surface area touching that hot steel. I probably made one giant hash brown to start, knowing I’d break it up later.
Then, the hardest part: patience. I seasoned them with salt and freshly cracked black pepper right there on the griddle. Some folks add onion powder or garlic powder, which is great, but I kept it simple. Then I just let them cook. Didn’t touch them, didn’t poke them. For a good 5, maybe 7 minutes. You need that time to develop a really nice, golden-brown crust on the bottom.
After I could see those lovely crispy edges forming and the bottom was looking good (a little peek with the spatula helps), it was time to flip. I use a couple of wide spatulas for this. It’s not always a perfect flip, especially if you’ve made a massive one like I tend to do. Bits break off, it’s fine. It all eats the same. I just aimed to get most of it turned over.
Once flipped, I let the other side cook and crisp up. Maybe another 5 minutes. Sometimes I’ll add a tiny bit more butter around the edges if it looks dry. I also use my spatulas to kind of chop and separate them into more manageable serving portions at this stage, ensuring all sides get a chance to crisp up a bit.
The Delicious Payoff
And that was pretty much it. I scooped them off the Blackstone and onto a plate. Man, they were good. Super crispy on the outside, nice and tender potato on the inside. The Blackstone just makes it so much easier with that big, flat surface. No more crowding the pan, no more half-steamed, half-burnt disappointments.
So yeah, that’s how I do my hash browns on the griddle. Squeeze those spuds, get your griddle hot, and be patient for that crust. Totally worth the effort.
