Why is it that when the weather turns cold, we want hearty soul warming meals? Whatever the reason is on Sunday I had a yen for shepherd's pie. Now I can't take full credit for this one, the basic recipe was given to me by my future mother in law, I just tweaked it.
The most important thing I can tell you is, you CANNOT eat this the day you make it. I have found that beef dishes are, in general, better the next day. With this one, it is a hard and fast rule. The Guinness can give the beef a nice rich flavor due to the coffee and very slight chocolate notes. Guinness is also almost hop free and has a nice roasty smell and taste. Believe me when I say that you do not want to eat this the day you make it. While the Guinness has a wonderful flavor while you are drinking it, it can be bitter in this if you don't give it time to sit.
Now that you have hopefully not been scared away, let's talk recipe. As I did, feel fee to try it once and then tweak it to your taste.
Guinness Shepherd Pie
Ingredients
2 pound bottom round
2 bag frozen vegetables (classic is what mine are called)
2 packets of classic brown gravy mix
4 pack of Guinness - in cans (very important it is not in bottle)
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
Worcestershire sauce
6 large Idaho potatoes
1 chicken bouillon cube
4 tablespoons of butter
Start with the bottom round. You can buy pre-ground beef if you like, but I definitely do not recommend it. I started grinding my own meat a couple of years ago and I find the flavor is so much better. Not to mention how much cleaner any cut of steak is compared to pre-ground beef. But to each his own. So back to the cooking!
Take the bottom round and cut it into half in strips, and then into even sized cubes. Depending on the size of your food processor you may need to do this multiple times, put the beef in an even layer on the bottom of the food processor and pulse 8 - 10 times until the beef is crumbly looking. Season with salt and pepper, then add in 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of onion powder, and 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and get ready to cook this.
Get a sautee (or frying) pan screaming hot and brown the beef in batches so it all gets that great sear. After the beef is cooked, put it into a clean bowl and set aside while we work on the gravy. Following package directions make the classic brown gravy mix, only substitute Guinness for the water. That should take about a can ad a half. After the gravy has thickened, add 1 cup of the frozen vegetables (more if you want) and set aside. Take the beef and pour it back into a hot pan and add the leftover Guinness. Simmer until the Guinness is mostly gone, and stir in the gravy/vegetable mixture. Pour this into a 9x11 baking dish, cool, cover, and put in the fridge at least overnight! Don't cheat or you will be sorry.
A day or two later, however long you can resist, it is time to finish the dish and enjoy. Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting into even sized pieces. Put into a pot and cover with water until the potatoes are covered and then give it another inch of water. Cover the pot and turn the heat on high. Turn your oven to 400 degrees to start pre-heating and remove the shepherds pie from the fridge. Boil until the potatoes are almost done. Add in one bouillon cube and cook until potatoes are done and bouillon is melted. Remove one cup of the broth and set aside. Drain the potatoes and put them back in the hot pot. Add salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 4 tablespoons of butter, and the cup of broth. Mash until all is incorporated. Scoop the potatoes on top of the beef/gravy/vegetable mixture and pop into the oven. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the beef mixture is bubbling and the potatoes are brown on top. Scoop onto a plate and enjoy!
The best part of this is that it freezes well w/o the potatoes and is great as leftovers. Now that I've done this however, I think I need to revisit this idea of a beer cheddar nacho sauce. Or maybe I'll try some beer marinated ribs. What do you think? You can post your ideas on the bottom or hit me up on Twitter @ bierqueen. Happy eating!
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