Shepherds Pie

[kyles]

In Australia, shepherds pie is mince with potato on top and cottage pie is mince with potato on top but with a pastry bottom!!!

My dad made gorgeous shepherds pie always with instant potato! He made it up quite dry, and it was always really nice. I often make mine with instant potato for traditions sake, and to hear Col (the other half) do his "for mash get smash" impression - I'm sure Leaf and Ishbel know what I am referring to!

In my mince I nearly always use a stock cube and water, worcestershire sauce,a bit of smoked tobasco, lots of black pepper, onions, garlic, diced carrots and zucchini, and sometimes beans, peas or corn (smuggling in lots of veggies for extra fibre)

I sometimes put leeks, spring onion or lightly steamed cabbage into the potato topping.

[SilvrBck]

I just got back from Philly where I had some great shepherd's pie and I'd like to try making it myself. This is what I'm going to do:

• Coursely grind some top sirloin
• Sautee some onion
• brown the meat with the onion
• add in some primary veal stock, a spoonful of tomato paste, worchestershire, S&P, a touch of beef bullion concentrate, a couple dashes Tabasco, and simmer for a while
• thicken with a small amount of roux if necessary
• make up some roasted garlic mashed taters
• put it in a casserole dish and top with parmigiano reggiano
• bake til brown and bubbly

Does this sound legit? I'm debating on the tomato...

[Andy M.]

Definitely include the tomato paste. It will add a lot to the flavor without making it a tomato dish. After you've browned the onion and meat, add in the paste and brown that a bit too. Sautéing the paste will add an additional depth of flavor and a little sweeter.

[biev]

In Quebec everyone makes pâté chinois, which is one layer of ground beef, one layer of corn (from the can) and one layer of mashed potatoes. I've always wondered if that was the same shepherd's pie. Regardless, I've had to eat so much of it as a kid, I don't think I'll ever want to eat it again.

[Ishbel]

Originally Posted by SilvrBck

I just got back from Philly where I had some great shepherd's pie and I'd like to try making it myself. This is what I'm going to do:

• Coursely grind some top sirloin
• Sautee some onion
• brown the meat with the onion
• add in some primary veal stock, a spoonful of tomato paste, worchestershire, S&P, a touch of beef bullion concentrate, a couple dashes Tabasco, and simmer for a while
• thicken with a small amount of roux if necessary
• make up some roasted garlic mashed taters
• put it in a casserole dish and top with parmigiano reggiano
• bake til brown and bubbly

Does this sound legit? I'm debating on the tomato...

Not really! It was a British dish, often made out of the remains of a roast beef or roast lamb Sunday lunch. There would be no garlic in the mashed potatoes, no tomato puree and certainly no foreign cheese!

But it sounds tasty - so who cares if it's 'legit'

[Little Miss J]

Shepherds Pie with Garlic Mash

from Fast Food recipe book
1 1/2 T oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
8 garlic cloves, peeled
750g lamb mince
1 1/2 C (375ml) of tomato pasta sauce
250ml beef stock
800g potato
30g butter
50ml extra beef stock

(no way am I typing this out word for word)
Cook onion and carrot in oil til soft. Chop two of the garlic cloves and add. Stir, then add mince and cook until browned. Add tomato pasta sauce and stock. Cover bring to boil and simmer for 25 min. Uncover then cook for 20 minutes.

Cook spuds with rest of garlic til done. Drain and mash with butter and extra stock.

PUt mix in a 1 1/2 litre casserole dish in a 200 degree celcius oven with spud on top and bake for 40 minutes.

[BigDog]

My rendition of Shepherd's Pie, which I have come to learn is actually Cottage Pie, is beyond simple. I always make plenty of it for left overs to freeze.

Shepherd's/Cottage Pie (using a 9 X 13 pan)

2# ground beef
2 cans of creamed corn
10 or so medium potatoes
a few splashes of milk/cream (use to desired consistency)
1 stick of butter (salted or unsalted)

Brown the beef. At this point, if you would want to season the beef or add anything to the recipe, this would be the spot. Mrs. Big Dog doesn't like spice, so all I do is brown it.

Wash and peel the spuds (leave some skin if you so choose). Boil them until they are fork tender. Once drained, put the butter in the pot used to boil the potatoes, and return the potatoes (or you can use a separate bowl). Allow the potatoes to melt the butter some, and start to mash. I've used both a hand masher as well as a hand mixer. I find that the mixer makes smoother potatoes versus the masher being more lumpy. Add milk to texture preference (I prefer thicker mashed potatoes, but that is me).

Use a no stick cooking spray to "grease" your pan. Layer the beef evenly in the pan. Cover with the cream corn, evenly spread. Then spread the potatoes evenly over the other layers. Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. You may want to place a drip catch pan in as well, as it is likely to overflow a bit. If you put the 9X13 right on the drip pan, you may need a bit longer cook time.

Serves 6 - 8

With Mrs. Big Dog not liking spice, once cooked is when I add my spice. Commonly I just used salt and fresh ground black pepper (lots of pepper), but I've been known to "kick it up a notch" with some of Emeril's Essence. BAM!

[Little Miss J]

Originally Posted by kyles

In Australia, shepherds pie is mince with potato on top and cottage pie is mince with potato on top but with a pastry bottom!!!

Kyles I am also an aussie but have never heard of pastry at the bottom of a cottage pie! I thought that shepherds pie was made from lamb and cottage pie is the same but made from beef instead?

[Ishbel]

That's right - shepherd's pie is made from minced lamb, cottage pie from minced beef!

Every time I've been in Australia it's been your summer - and far too hot to eat or cook shepherd's pie, so I can't comment! And my sister would make it the same way as I do, because she grew up in Scotland