For some reason, I was craving Shepherd's Pie. I spent last week thinking of it, and broke down to see if anyone I knew had a good recipe. Sadly, no one shared any. But darling hubby replied when I asked friends for a favorite recipe, that his favorite is mine. I don't have a favorite recipe, but it did get me thinking about my yearly journey into meat pie, Guinness Pie, and I opted to take a few ideas from there as well as throwing together a few other recipes. The result was so yummy.
MARINATING THE MEAT
- 1 T dried shallots
- 2 t minced garlic
- 2/3 c good beer (I used Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star from Fremont brewing)
- 1 pound ground beef
- Mix the meat, beer, garlic, and shallots in a bowl. Place in the fridge overnight.
FOR THE MEAT FILLING
- 4 slices applewood smoked bacon
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Marinated meat from above
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup English peas, fresh or frozen
FOR THE POTATOES
- 1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 2 T unsalted butter
- remainder of bacon from meat filling, crumbled
- salt to taste
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch dice. Put them in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Place pan over heat and boil until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes. Mash the potatoes, then add cream & butter. When potatoes are complete, add in the crumbled bacon.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
- cooked meat
- mashed potatoes
- shredded cheese (I used Dubliner)