Cottage Pie (Kentucky Style)

Meat pies have been around since the Middle Ages. In fact, Piers Plowman, a 14th-Century British poem, mentions "hote [meat] pies." But it wasn't until the 18th Century--when the curmudgeonly British finally accepted the potato--that shepherd's and cottage pies came into their own. The difference between the two pies is largely technical: shepherd's pie is traditionally made with minced lamb, while minced beef flavors a cottage pie. (See Food Timeline for more fun facts.) Both were considered a poor-man's food, utilizing, as they did, leftover meat and vegetables.

In our fall CSA share this week we received some ground chuck, along with an assortment of root veggies, so (at mum's suggestion) I made a cottage pie. I managed to sneak a lot of strange veggies past A., although once I post this, I guess the secret will be out.

Step 1: Chop and Divide Veggies & Fresh Herbs

• Group 1: 1/2 a butternut squash, chopped sage
  
• Group 2: 3 tiny sweet potatoes, 2 rutabagas, 1 turnip (plus the greens--trust me, they are tasty when sautéed with bacon in Step 2), 4 carrots, fresh thyme
  
• Group 3: 1 onion, 1 green pepper, a head of celery, leaves and all (mine was teeny, so if you are using store-bought celery, use about 4 stalks), 4 cloves of garlic, fresh thyme
• Group 4: 4-5 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
  

Step 2: Bacon Makes Everything Better

• Cook 3 slices of bacon and remove to a plate with paper towel. Pour the grease into a bowl.
• Start cooking the potatoes in a separate saucepan. Salt the water and boil until tender (20 minutes usually).
  
• As the potatoes are boiling, sauté the veggies and herbs in batches on medium heat using the pan you cooked the bacon in and with as much of the bacon grease as you feel won't kill you. Make sure that you season each batch with salt and pepper. Cook the veggies until tender. Remove to a big bowl.
• When the potatoes are ready, drain and mash with milk, butter, a bit of sour cream, salt, pepper, a pat of butter, and a few sprinkles of Parmesan cheese. I usually over-season my potatoes, as otherwise the shepherd's pie will be a bit bland. Keep the potatoes warm as you finish Step 3.

Step 3: Brown the Beef

• After de-glazing the pan with 1 C. red wine (I used Merlot)--to catch all the tasty brown bits at the bottom of the pan--brown 1 pound of ground beef in the wine.
  
• Add 3 cups of chicken stock (I used mine from my Oct. 19, 2009, post on chicken stock).
• Stir in the veggies, sprinkle in 3 T. corn starch. Bring the entire brew to a boil for one minute until the liquid becomes thick. Remove from heat. Let cool for a few minutes, and top with the mashed potatoes.
• At this point, you can refrigerate for later use or bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until the potatoes are brown and the mixture is bubbling.

Not exactly a peasants' dish anymore!