Red beer braised beef shepherd’s pie
- Preparation 30 min
- Cooking 4 h 10 min
- Servings 6 to 8
- Freezing Absolutely
Ads
🥔 For the one who says they don’t like shepherd’s pie
If you don’t like shepherd’s pie, try this one. It’s for someone who’s maybe a little closed-minded, because it’s a shepherd’s pie, but a really luxurious one.
🍺 A next-level shepherd’s pie
It’s rich, it’s decadent. A beef roast braised in red beer until it shreds with a fork, cheese curds that melt a little in the oven, corn browned in a skillet and a mash with celeriac. For another shepherd’s pie in the same spirit, look at my deluxe shepherd’s pie.
🍽️ To spoil yourself, or for meal prep
I make it when I feel like treating myself or when I’m doing meal prep for the kids. It easily serves 8 people.
Ads
Ads
🥩 Braise it long enough, and let the fork decide.
I braise it for 3 hours, sometimes 3 hours 30, just to be safe. Pull it too early and the meat is tender but won’t fall apart with a fork, and that’s what you need to shred it. Take it out when it comes apart on its own, not before.
🧈 Remove the fat once the meat is braised.
Don’t forget this one: as you shred, throw out the pieces of fat. The meat isn’t dry, that’s not the issue, but fat left in weighs the whole dish down.
🌽 Golden corn, browned in a skillet.
Four or five minutes in a hot pan with a drizzle of olive oil, until it’s golden. It adds caramelized flavor to the corn, and it’s really good. Corn that goes straight from the bag onto the meat isn’t the same thing.
🥔 Celeriac in the mash, and never a runny mash.
Why celeriac? Because it’s really, really good. It’s as simple as that. A runny mash, on the other hand, is what ruins this dish: drain your potatoes and celeriac well before mashing, and stick to the milk in the recipe without adding more.
🧀 Cheese curds, not shredded.
Absolutely. In the oven they melt a little under the mash and it’s outrageous.
📅 Make ahead and meal prep.
It freezes in portions, and it’s actually perfect for meal prep. In the fridge it keeps 3 to 4 days, and in the freezer up to 3 months.
✅ What to serve with my red beer braised beef shepherd’s pie?
The classic pair is my homemade fruit ketchup and my homemade pickled beets. The ketchup brings the sweet and spicy note that answers the corn, and the beets bring the vinegar that cuts the richness. And if you want another deluxe shepherd’s pie, there’s my deluxe shepherd’s pie.
Ads
Ingredients for the beef
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) beef blade roast, most of the fat removed, quartered
- Olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 red ales (355 ml each)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) herbes de Provence
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup (250 ml) beef broth
- 450 g (1 lb) cheese curds
- 2 cups (500 ml) frozen corn
Mashed potatoes
- 2 lb (900 g) white potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 celeriac, peeled and diced
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) butter
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/3 cup (75 ml) milk
- Smoked paprika, to taste
Ads
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, pour in a good drizzle of olive oil and add the meat. Brown on all sides, about 10 to 12 minutes in total. Season generously with salt and pepper. Set the meat aside on a plate.
- Add the onion and garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring.
- Deglaze with the beer and scrape the bottom well to pick up all the flavor.
- Add the maple syrup, herbes de Provence, bay leaves and beef broth, season with salt and pepper and stir. Cover, bring to a boil and place in the oven. Cook for 3 hours, until the meat falls apart easily with a fork.
- Set the meat on a work surface and shred it. Discard the pieces of fat and the bay leaves. Put the meat in a baking dish and spoon a few ladles of the cooking juices over it. Spread the cheese curds on top and set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes and celeriac for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender. Drain in a colander and return to the pot.
- Add the butter and melt it while stirring. Add the Parmesan and milk and mash with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the corn and drizzle with olive oil. Cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the corn is golden. Pour over the meat and spread.
- Spoon the mashed potatoes over the meat and spread. Sprinkle with smoked paprika to taste. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 25 minutes.
Three hours in a 350°F (180°C) oven, covered, and sometimes up to 3 hours 30, just to be safe. The fork decides: the meat has to come apart on its own. Take it out too early and it won’t shred.
Brown it on all sides, then deglaze with red beer, scraping the bottom well. The maple syrup, herbes de Provence, bay leaves and broth do the rest during the braise. After cooking, throw out the fat as you shred: don’t forget that step.
Here the meat is a beef roast braised for three hours, shredded with a fork and topped with cheese curds. Then come the golden skillet corn and a celeriac mash. It’s for the person who says they don’t like shepherd’s pie: a next-level one.
Absolutely, in portions, and it’s even perfect for meal prep. Up to 3 months in the freezer. In the fridge, as leftovers, it keeps 3 to 4 days without any trouble.
With the classic pair: my homemade fruit ketchup and my homemade pickled beets. For another one in the same spirit, try my deluxe shepherd’s pie.
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads