Ingredients

• 1 pound russet potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Peel your potatoes and grate them using the large holes of a box grater. Immediately add the shredded potatoes to a large bowl of cold water.
2. Let the potatoes soak in the water for 15-20 minutes. This will remove some of the starch and help to make a crispier hash brown.
3. Pull the potatoes out of the water and lay them on a clean dish towel. Wrap the towel up and squeeze as much excess water out of the potatoes as you can (removing the moisture will make, you guessed it, a crispy hash brown).
4. Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Make sure the pan is very hot, reduce the heat to medium, add the butter, and allow it to melt.
5. Sprinkle the potatoes in a thin layer over the butter (you don't want a super thick layer; work in batches if you need to). Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. DO NOT STIR.
6. At this point, you'll need to let the potatoes sit without being disturbed. This will create a golden brown crust. After a few minutes, you can use a spatula to peek under the side to see if they're browned (it took mine 5-6 minutes).
7. Once the underside is golden, flip them to cook the other side (you can break it up to do it in sections if you need to). Cook until browned (this side won't take as long to brown). Remove from the heat and serve.