#1184 - Homemade Hash Brown Patties

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 red potatoes (wash and peeled)
salt and pepper to your taste
oil or lard for frying

Wash and peel the potatoes, then grate them with a large grater over a large bowl. Once you've grated all of the potatoes, rinse them with cold water while they are still in the bowl. After rinsing, dump the potatoes into a collander and move the collander back and forth a bit to get them as dry as you can. Place some paper towels on your counter and spread the grated potatoes out on the paper towels--pat them lightly to drain the rest of the water. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat add oil/lard--once pan is greased add a heaping tablespoonful (or more) of the grated potatoes to the skillet and press the grated potatoes FLAT using a spatula. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top (to your taste). Cook until the bottom side is COMPLETELY golden brown before using the spatula to flip and cook the other side. If you try to turn them too early they will fall apart. Repeat with all grated potatoes. Place cooked hash brown patties on paper towels to drain some of the oil/lard. Add more salt/pepper to your taste.