Shepherd’s pie, also known as the Cottage pie, is a dish that pleases all ages and tastebuds. It’s also quite inexpensive to make, even for a paleo version with grass-fed meat. My version with porcini and shiitake mushrooms is a little more gourmet but it’s still as hearty and rustic as the traditional Shepherd’s Pie.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms and/or porcini
- 1 medium onion peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil, butter can also be used
- 850 g ground beef about 2 lbs. grass-fed beef mince
- 2 medium carrots peeled and finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely diced
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2/3 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 star anise optional
- 2 dry bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
- 1 cup chicken stock water, vegetable or beef stock is also fine
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Tamari wheat-free soy sauce or coconut aminos, optional
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot or tapioca flour for thickening
Sweet potato mash
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated, aged (optional)
- 1 tablespoon butter or ghee, olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Soak the mushrooms in a cup of hot water for 10 minutes.Then chop roughly. Reserve the liquid.
- Sauté the onion in a large pan with ghee or coconut oil over medium heat for 7-8 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the rest of ingredients.
- Add the beef and bring the heat to high. Break the meat apart using a spatula, pressing it down and stirring through as it cooks, for about 5 minutes, until the colour changes. Add the carrots, garlic, red wine, salt, pepper, star anise, bay leaves, herbs and bring back to boil.
- Add the mushrooms and the reserved soaking liquid, extra water or beef stock, tomato paste, and Tamari sauce. Stir through and bring to boil. Turn the heat down to simmering and cover with a lid. Cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once beef is under way, place sweet potato in a saucepan of water. Bring to boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, until soft. Drain and return to the saucepan. Mash well, then add the butter, cheese and salt and mash again until well incorporated and smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F.
- After 35 minutes of cooking, uncover the beef and add the arrowroot flour dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water. Mix through for a minute until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
- Spread the beef mixture in a baking tray or small oven pie dishes, leaving some space for the mash. Carefully spread the mash evenly over the top. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. If you want to brown the top even further, pop the dishes under a hot grill for 5 minutes. Prepare a side salad or some steamed greens in the meantime.
Nutrition
Calories: 658kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 1916mg | Potassium: 1602mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 21483IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 7mg
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