Keltin
New member
This is something of an open faced Shepherd's Pie if you will.
Not exactly like a “real” Shepherd's Pie in that I only use meat, gravy, and potatoes but no other veggies and no “top”…..but that’s about the closest description I can muster.
For the pork, I used…..get this……BONELESS pork “neck bones”.
Basically, chunks of fatty (and rather tough) meat from the neck and collar of the pig. Obviously, this meat HAS to be cooked low and slow, or braised.
I braised it.
But, at 99 cents a lb, I got 3.5 lbs of boneless chunks of meat for under 4 bucks. I separated it into 3 equal bags and froze it. This is the first cook from that batch. Two meals left to do…..not bad for under 4 bucks!
Open Faced Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
1 lb Pork pieces cut into cubes
1/2 cup Merlot Wine
1 Knorr’s “Caldo con Sabor de Tomate y Chipoltes” bouillon cube
2 cups water (for the Knorr’s bouillon cube)
2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
1 Tbsp Flour and Water for a slurry
2 Tbsp chopped Cilantro (optional)
1 Tbsp oil for browning the meat
Procedure
In a 2 quart pot, brown the pork meat in oil on all sides. Once browned, add the wine and cook over medium high heat until wine has reduced to 1/4 its volume; stir frequently.
As the meat is cooking, add a Knorr’s T&C bouillon cube to 2 cups of water and microwave for 4 minutes. Then, whisk to blend.
Once the wine has reduced, add the Knorr’s bouillon liquid to the meat in the pot and cover the pot. Cook over low heat at a simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.
After that time, remove the meat to a covered dish to keep warm. Now make a slurry of 1 Tbsp flour and some water (~1/4 cup) to thicken the remaining liquid into a gravy. Shred the meat with 2 forks and put it into the gravy. Stir well and cover to keep warm.
With that done, heat your broiler to 450. In individual oven safe dishes (or in one large dish), spread out the mashed potatoes to make a bed with sides (thus creating a “well” in the center). Place the shaped potatoes under the broiler to brown them.
Once they are brown, spoon the gravy and meat mixture into the potato shells. Return to the oven on bake for 5 minutes to warm through and then serve. Sprinkle fresh Cilantro over the dish before serving.
Notes
Think of kicking this up by adding chopped onion, leeks, peppers, or even mushrooms. I’d add the extra veggies about 30 minutes before it’s done. Remember, the meat will have to cook 1.5 to 2 hours in the Knorr’s in order to be tender and shred.
Not exactly like a “real” Shepherd's Pie in that I only use meat, gravy, and potatoes but no other veggies and no “top”…..but that’s about the closest description I can muster.
For the pork, I used…..get this……BONELESS pork “neck bones”.
Basically, chunks of fatty (and rather tough) meat from the neck and collar of the pig. Obviously, this meat HAS to be cooked low and slow, or braised.
I braised it.
But, at 99 cents a lb, I got 3.5 lbs of boneless chunks of meat for under 4 bucks. I separated it into 3 equal bags and froze it. This is the first cook from that batch. Two meals left to do…..not bad for under 4 bucks!
Open Faced Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
1 lb Pork pieces cut into cubes
1/2 cup Merlot Wine
1 Knorr’s “Caldo con Sabor de Tomate y Chipoltes” bouillon cube
2 cups water (for the Knorr’s bouillon cube)
2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
1 Tbsp Flour and Water for a slurry
2 Tbsp chopped Cilantro (optional)
1 Tbsp oil for browning the meat
Procedure
In a 2 quart pot, brown the pork meat in oil on all sides. Once browned, add the wine and cook over medium high heat until wine has reduced to 1/4 its volume; stir frequently.
As the meat is cooking, add a Knorr’s T&C bouillon cube to 2 cups of water and microwave for 4 minutes. Then, whisk to blend.
Once the wine has reduced, add the Knorr’s bouillon liquid to the meat in the pot and cover the pot. Cook over low heat at a simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.
After that time, remove the meat to a covered dish to keep warm. Now make a slurry of 1 Tbsp flour and some water (~1/4 cup) to thicken the remaining liquid into a gravy. Shred the meat with 2 forks and put it into the gravy. Stir well and cover to keep warm.
With that done, heat your broiler to 450. In individual oven safe dishes (or in one large dish), spread out the mashed potatoes to make a bed with sides (thus creating a “well” in the center). Place the shaped potatoes under the broiler to brown them.
Once they are brown, spoon the gravy and meat mixture into the potato shells. Return to the oven on bake for 5 minutes to warm through and then serve. Sprinkle fresh Cilantro over the dish before serving.
Notes
Think of kicking this up by adding chopped onion, leeks, peppers, or even mushrooms. I’d add the extra veggies about 30 minutes before it’s done. Remember, the meat will have to cook 1.5 to 2 hours in the Knorr’s in order to be tender and shred.
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