A Variation on Shepherds Pie Recipe

How to make it

---

• Start with the Mashed Potatoes: Clean the potatoes well. Fill pot with hot water, and add a little salt - actually amount is unimportant and wait to boil. Add potatoes to water.
• Check occasionally with a fork to see if they are done.
• After they are fully cooked set them aside to cool enough to handle them with your fingers. Then remove skins (unless your family likes the skins - I do, but others don't so I remove them)
• Add potatoes to mixer, and add aprox 1.5 cups of non-fat milk (no need to get high fat on these - save it for the butter) and butter to taste (I use tons, probably a whole stick) **note: It's probably best to start with about half of what you think you'll want to use, and then as the mixer is going add more gradually - I don't know if it makes much of a difference, but this is how I always do it.
• Then place plastic wrap or foil over the top and place in the refrigerator until ready to add it to the top of the pies.
• all of this can be done at the same time as other steps of making the pie filling as well.
• Pie Filling:
• Put all the meat in the pot and fill with water just a little more than needed to cover the meat (this meat should be pre-cut into chunks --- not one big hunk of meat) and cook on high.
• Chop the onion - rough or uniform doesn't matter. Put half directly in with the beef.
• Other half of onion will go into the 10 inch pan. Do not pre-heat the pan before adding the onion. After adding the onion drizzle just enough olive oil to cover about half the onions, add about a tablespoon of butter, and about 3 shakes of paprika.
• Cook until onions caramelize (stir occasionally at first, and then more frequently so they don't burn)
• After the onions caramelize, then add them (and whatever olive oil/butter is in the pan) into the larger pot with the beef.
• Add a few more shakes of paprika to the pot with the beef. Stir.
• Add about 3 "glugs" of Soy Sauce. Stir.
• Start to roast your 3 garlic heads according to the recipe found here: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001712roasted_garlic.php
• ***I didn't really know how long to cook this, but I wanted to make sure it was good and flavorful and tender, so I let it cook for about 3.5 hours. If you know it won't take you that long - go for it, shorten the time for stewing*** At this time, after all the ingredients have been added, I lower from high to about medium for the duration of the cooking time.
• After the beef is done enough, spoon out the beef chunks and slice them into much smaller pieces (think bite-size for a 2 year old child) and add them back into the pot. Cutting WITH the grain of the meat is important for consistency.
• Add the peas into the pot now.
• Now add the roasted garlic paste into beef broth a little bit at a time, tasting as you go to check for what you like.
• Gradually add flour one spoonful at a time to thicken the broth into a stew-like consistency. **If you have never made a stew before, note this: do not expect the thickening to occur instantly, it takes a little while (3-5 min or so) before knowing if you'll need to add the next spoonful of flour or not.**
• Now, put the pie crusts into the oven as you would with any other pie for just a bit - remove from the oven, and pour half of the beef mixture into each one.
• Place mashed potatoes on top (I recommend microwaving the potatoes so they are easier to mush around on top, as I put them on cold from the fridge and it made a bit of a mess). Broil at 375 until crispy on top to your liking, I think I put mine in for about 10 minutes.
• The pies will need to set up before dishing out.
• I made this with homemade creamed corn - and everyone raved.