Tailgate Pie with spring greens...light enough for summer.

June 20^th, 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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