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| Tailgate Pie with spring greens...light enough for summer. |
June 20th, 2013
Today’s fare is to fulfill a special request by the
husband-unit. Shepherd’s Pie is not
traditionally a summer dish, but it’s not very hot outside today and the
evaporative cooler is doing a great job here in the High Desert. So, a hot oven for an hour won’t be too much
to manage. And, it’s still early in the
day.
Recipe gurus say that Shepherd's Pie, aka Cottage Pie, is a “traditional Irish meal” (unlike
corned beef and cabbage) dating back to the early days of the cultivation of
the potato in Europe. The potato, native to Peru, was brought to
Europe through colonization of the Americas.
Tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn and peanuts also hale from the Americas.
Back in the late 1700’s, Shepherd’s pie was made with lamb and spiced with rosemary and thyme and salt. I don’t like
rosemary or ground lamb, so my version is westernized: TAILGATE PIE.
NOTE: Another nice spin on this recipe is to use the
traditional Mexican seasonings.
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
1 1/2 lbs.
russet potatoes (5 or 6 medium sized)
1/3 c.
canned evaporated milk (more RV friendly than half-and-half)
2 oz.
butter or margarine
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp.
ground black pepper
1 egg
yolk
Paprika
sprinkled on toping for color
For the meat filling:
2 tbsp.
oil
1 c.
chopped onion
2-4
carrots, peeled and diced small
1 tsp.
chopped garlic
1 1/2
lbs. lean ground beef
1 tsp.
salt (option…especially if you used beef bouillon for broth)
1/2 tsp. ground
black pepper
2 tbsp.
all-purpose flour
2 tsp.
tomato paste
1 c. beef
broth (I spiked it with 1 tsp. dry onion soup mix)
1 tsp. Worcestershire
sauce
½ tsp.
dry mustard
1 small
can peas-drained
1 small
can corn kernels (optional)
Directions
Peel the
potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with
cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling,
uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and
easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the canned
mild and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until
warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then
return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the canned milk, butter,
salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well
combined.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
While the
potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the oil into a 12-inch sauté
pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and
carrots and sauté just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4
minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the beef, salt and pepper, and
paprika and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the
flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato
paste, broth, Worcestershire, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the
heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is
thickened slightly.
Add the
corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass
baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create
a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber
spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the
oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove
to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.
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