December 5: National Comfort Food Day

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Irish Comfort Classics Shepherd's Pie
Categories: Beef, Potatoes, Dairy, Vegetables, Mushrooms
Yield: 5 Servings

1 1/2 lb 93% lean ground beef (ground
- round) *
2 tb + 2 ts water
Salt & pepper
1/2 ts Baking soda
2 1/2 lb Russet potatoes; peeled,
- in 1" chunks
4 tb Unsalted butter; melted
1/2 c Whole milk
1 lg Egg yolk
8 Scallions; green only, thin
- sliced
2 ts Oil
1 lg Onion; peeled, chopped
4 oz White mushrooms; trimmed,
- chopped
1 tb Tomato paste
2 cl Garlic; minced
2 tb Madeira or ruby port
2 tb All-purpose flour
1 1/4 c Beef broth
2 ts Worcestershire sauce
2 Sprigs fresh thyme
1 Bay leaf
2 Carrots; peeled, chopped
2 ts Cornstarch

* Don't use ground beef that's fattier than 93% or the
dish will be greasy. (Drain the grease, doofus - UDD)

Toss beef with 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon salt,
1/4 teaspoon pepper, and baking soda in bowl until
thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in medium saucepan; add water
to just cover and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to boil over
high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until
potatoes are soft and tip of paring knife inserted into
potato meets no resistance, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain
potatoes and return to saucepan. Return saucepan to low
heat and cook, shaking pot occasionally, until any
surface moisture on potatoes has evaporated, about 1
minute. Remove pan from heat and mash potatoes well.
Stir in melted butter. Whisk together milk and egg yolk
in small bowl, then stir into potatoes. Stir in scallion
greens and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover
and set aside.

Heat oil in broiler-safe 10" skillet over medium heat
until shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon
salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stir occasionally,
until vegetables are just starting to soften and dark
bits form on bottom of skillet, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir
in tomato paste and garlic; cook until bottom of skillet
is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Add Madeira and cook,
scraping up any browned bits, until evaporated, about 1
minute. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add broth,
Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaf, and carrots; bring to
boil, scraping up any browned bits.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add beef in 2" chunks to
broth, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook until
beef is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and
breaking up meat chunks with 2 forks halfway through.
Stir cornstarch and remaining 2 teaspoons water together
in bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into filling and
continue to simmer for 30 seconds. Remove thyme and bay
leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Adjust oven rack 5" from broiler element and heat
broiler. Place mashed potatoes in large zipper-lock bag
and snip off 1 corner to create 1" opening.

Pipe potatoes in even layer over filling, making sure
to cover entire surface. Smooth potatoes with back of
spoon, then use tines of fork to make ridges over
surface. Place skillet on rimmed baking sheet and broil
until potatoes are golden brown and crusty and filling
is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes
before serving.

SHEPHERD'S PIE MAKEOVER: Between trimming, searing, and
braising chunks of stew meat and then mashing and piping
the potato topping, traditional shepherd's pie is an
all-afternoon project. Plus, it's hefty fare. Here's how
we freshened up the concept and got dinner on the table
in about an hour.

SWAP GROUND BEEF FOR STEW MEAT: Ground meat cooks in
less than half the time required by bigger chunks and
needs no butchering.

SERVES 4 TO 6

RECIPE FROM: https://www.americastestkitchen.com

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