Shepherd's Pie

Today I'm bringing you a good old fashioned stand-by meal - Shepherd's Pie!  This was originally an English recipe but Americans have stolen and used it for so long that it would be considered a stand-by American meal.  One that you can make anytime because usually you have the ingredients in your cabinet and refrigerator.  

Although it takes a bit of time to make, it is a pretty easy recipe using the very basic techniques.  Techniques that are used in so many other dishes and good to know when cooking -- that's why I'm bringing it to you now.  

You can use almost any cut of beef or lamb.  The usage of onion, celery and carrots is called a mirepoix (pronounced meer oh pwa) in classic french cooking and has become a standard for almost all western food recipes.  It's good to use this when building a recipe or sauce by adding the trio along with butter and/or olive oil. 



Shepherd's Pie  (lightened up)
12 oz top round beef steak or roast (roasts are usually bigger, but ask the butcher to cut you 12 0z of it) 
2 Medium Carrots
3 Stalks Celery
1 Large Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
3 Tbls Flour
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 Tbls Olive oil
2 cups Beef Stock
5 oz Red Wine
3 Bay Leaves
1 Tbls Worscestershire Sauce
5 Medium Russet Potatoes
2 Tbls Butter
1/2 Cup Fat Free Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Fat Free Milk
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
3 Scallions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the meat in bite size pieces.  Cut the celery and carrots in bite size pieces.  Cut the onion into a small dice.  Mince the garlic.  Chop scallions in 1/4 inch pieces.  Defrost the peas in a strainer over the sink or a plate so it can drain any excess juice.

  Put the flour in a gallon baggie with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper.  Put the beef in the bag and shake until all the pieces are fully coated.

Put 1 Tbls of the olive oil in a very large, high topped skillet and bring to a high heat.  Add the meat by taking it out in small handfuls shaking off extra flour and dropping the meat into the pan so each piece is touching the surface - not in clumps.  Let it sit without stirring for 2 minutes and then stir to get each side browned.  Or if you have tongs, use those to turn the meat to brown on all sides.  Remove from pan when the meat has been browned.  It doesn't need to be fully cooked.  Add then the second 1 Tbls of olive oil to the pan with the onion and saute the mixture for about 7 minutes on medium heat.  By this point the onions should be  golden and at that point add the garlic to the mixture and saute one more minute.  You don't need to worry about the browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan, as you'll want those because they are what makes the sauce taste so good! 

After removing what was cooking in the pan, add the red wine to it and and simmer it until almost all of the wine has been evaporated.  Then scrape the bits on the bottom of the pan to bring them up and then add the stock.  

Next, put the beef, carrots and celery in it.  Add the 1 Tbls of Worscestershire Sauce and the 3 bay leaves.  Bring to a boil, then drop to a medium simmer and let simmer away for 40 minutes.  You may have to adjust the heat here and there so that it is not boiling away too fast but it is still simmering at a good pace.  You want it to end up so that you have the meat and vegetables in a gravy like sauce.  

If after 40 minutes it is still too watery bring the heat to a boil and let evaporate until you have it as a gravy.  Don't worry about "overcooking" the meat and vegetables will be cooked just fine.  Finally drop in the peas and stir - no more cooking on the stove the peas will cook in the oven.  Taste for seasoning.  If it needs salt and pepper you need to add it now.  Hopefully you didn't add it earlier, because if it boiled down with everything it would be too salty!

Now while the meat is cooking with all the goodies in it, you'll want to work on the potatoes or you can wait until the meat is done to do this step -- up to you.  So after you get the meat/veggies simmering away, peel and cut the potatoes into 6 even pieces.  Drop the potatoes in a large pot and add cold water until it is about 1 inch above the potatoes.  

Tip:  Don't ever add potatoes to boiling water in order to cook them.  You want the potatoes and water to come up to temperature at the same time otherwise the outsides of each potato piece will be more done than the insides!!  

Boil 18 or so minutes or until fork tender (aka fork easily goes into it).  Keep an eye on it the last few minutes - you don't want potato mush.  But you don't want to work too hard mashing them either.  They should break into two pieces when you inset a fork.

Strain the potatoes and put back in the pot.  Add the butter and start mashing.  Then add the sour cream and milk and finish mashing until you have a pretty smooth mashed potatoes.

OVEN TIME

Spray the inside of a 13x9 inch pan with vegetable oil.  Add the meat mixture.  Put the potatoes on top in dollops and then spread it out so that the whole concoction is covered with potatoes.  Put in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
















 

Put the chopped scallions on top to garnish (they taste great with this dish).

8 Servings - 320 cal/9 fat/40 carbs/8 fiber/23 protein/8pts+

When you're done making this dish you'll have learned so many of the very most basic of cooking techniques.

Tip on how to cut an onion: