Several years ago I started my “pie” phase. It consisted primarily of the usual suspects: cherry, apple, mixed berry, and—if the season was good and I found the time to go foraging—huckleberry. But, with each dessert pie that I made, my palate craved for something to combat the sweet, and so I began making savory pies. Somewhat of my signature, Shepherd’s Pie has become a favorite around my household. And the best part? I’ve come across many Shepherd’s Pie recipes over the years that call for Guinness beer, but through much trial and error and countless boozy experimentation, I’ve found that lighter, hoppier beers, like Bend, Ore.,’s Crux Fermentation Project On the Fence Northwest Pale Ale, add the best flavor.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
Filling:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large yellow onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ teaspoons herbes de provence
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (or substitute lamb for a Cottage Pie)
2 cups mixed frozen peas and carrots
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons heavy cream
½ cup chicken broth
1 cup Crux Fermentation Project’s On the Fence Northwest Pale Ale
Topping:
6 russet potatoes, chopped
¼ cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
To make the filling:
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and ½ teaspoon of salt and sauté until onion just begins to sweat, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, ground beef, herbes de provence, pepper and remaining salt, and continue sautéing until beef is fully cooked, about 5-6 minutes. Add the peas and carrots. Once the peas and carrots are vibrant in color, about 1 minute, coat mixture with flour, tossing to make sure all ingredients are well coated. Once flour has been evenly incorporated into the mixture, add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, heavy cream and beer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, allowing mixture to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
To make the topping:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil potatoes for 6-8 minutes, or until tender. Drain potatoes and rinse well. Return potatoes back to pot. Add butter, cream, salt and pepper and using an electric hand mixer or potato masher, blend or mash potatoes until no lumps remain. Set aside.
Spread filling across the bottom of a casserole dish (a 9″x13” or smaller works best). Once filling is evenly distributed across the bottom of the pan, spoon the mashed potatoes across the top and spread into an even layer using a spatula. Once evenly spread, drag a fork from one end of the pan to the other, and repeat until the entire top is textured. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste (optional) and place into center rack of oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until top of potatoes are golden brown.
