The copy and recipe below both appear on page 4 of our March 2012 Ladies of Local Beer Issue, and are courtesy of Karen Blair, Hamilton’s Tavern publican and comfort food fan.
Every March, millions of us do the same thing: go to the grocery store and pick out what we think “looks” like the best corned beef, already brined and ready to plop into the crockpot. A pseudo-Irish “set-it-and-forget-it” dish. Delicious, and predictable. Instead, roll up your sleeves and spend a couple hours in the kitchen on a classic dinner – Shepherd’s Pie. Hearty and comforting, this family-style, one-dish-supper is made all over the world with varying ingredients. I can’t confirm or deny that its origin is Irish, but it sure looks like something that would pair beautifully on a big wooden dinner table in a small cottage, against the backdrop of a dreary sky, green hillside covered in sheep, and of course alongside a nice, dry stout. No, I’ve never been to Ireland but I can’t be that far off, can I?! My version usually depends on what ingredients I have fresh or on hand, which, coincidentally, seem to always make for the best soups and stews.
Ingredients:
2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground sirloin
1 yellow onion, diced
½ pound button mushrooms
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 cup English peas (if using frozen, do not defrost)
1 cup of corn (shucked fresh or frozen)
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup Avery Ellie’s Brown
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef stock
1 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 egg yolk
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped chives
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
paprika
Drop the potatoes into a large pot and cover with just enough water so that the line is approx. 2” over the potatoes. Add a pinch of kosher salt and bring the pot to a boil. Approx. 10-13 mins, or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the potato water to be used later, and keep them covered in the pot you boiled them in.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Once warmed, add the beef and cook until browned. Break the meat up as it cooks to ensure even cooking. Once browned, add the onion, mushrooms, carrots, peas and corn. Cook until vegetables are tender.
In another pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the butter, whisking constantly for approx. 1 min. Slowly whisk in the beer, beef stock, and Worcestershire. Adding a pinch at a time, season the gravy with salt & pepper, to taste. Add gravy to the skillet of meat & vegetables. Stir to combine and transfer to a glass baking dish (some prefer to broil the entire dish in the skillet but I like to see my gravy bubbling under the potatoes through the glass sides – food porn, if you will).
Next up is the glorious mashed potatoes topping. To prevent the egg yolk from curdling as it is added to warm food, beat it with ½ cup of the reserved potato water. Add yolk mixture to the potatoes along with the heavy cream and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Remember, you can taste everything before you put it into the oven — so season the gravy and potatoes to your liking before going on to the next step.
Turn on your oven’s broiler. Spread the potatoes in an even layer across the top of your meat & vegetables. If you want to get fancy, use a dinner fork to create a cross-hatch design on top of your potatoes and lightly sprinkle paprika over the top. Place the dish under the broiler to brown the potatoes (this ranges from 2-7mins depending on how brown or crispy you want the top of your potatoes).
There are so many delicious variations you can make with this recipe – add a cup of cheese to the potatoes; top with bacon after broiling; use steak bits or a leaner meat such as bison; be creative with the beer (you’d be surprised what works!); even omit meat and dairy altogether for a vegan option (use vegan margarine with vegetable base, ‘Better Than Bouillon’ for the gravy and Egg Replacer with vegan sour cream in your potatoes). So this month, don’t be afraid to step away from the pre-packaged St. Patrick’s Day-in-a-crockpot and warm your belly with home cooked love! And beer. Don’t forget the beer.