shepherds pie

In article 4086b9bb$1_1@aeinews. said:

I love shepherd's pie although when I make it, it never
quite turns out the same as I remember from growing up.
The recipe is very simple

hamburger onions peas mushrooms if I have them mashed
potatoes Cook in oven for 1 hour

So I brown the hamburger, drain the grease, add the
onions - make a gravy and let cook for a while then add
the peas/mushrooms. I think it's my gravy that really
sucks. Since I don't always have home prepared beef
stock, I usually add an oxo cube and flour, but there is
not a lot of flavour. I've also used canned beef stock
with the same tasteless results - and quite salty. Am I
missing an ingredient to make the gravy more
interesting.

I'm making this tonight, so any suggestions or
improvements welcome. Elaine

Add a little brown sugar. Seriously. This was my mom's
secret...

Add it slowly to taste.

Garlic would not hurt either.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

Quoted message said:

,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

cgi6.ebay.comeBayISAPI.dllOpen ↗
&include=0&userid=katra

"elaine" wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I love shepherd's pie although when I make it, it never
quite turns out the same as I remember from growing up.
The recipe is very simple

hamburger onions peas mushrooms if I have them mashed
potatoes Cook in oven for 1 hour

So I brown the hamburger, drain the grease, add the
onions - make a

gravy

Quoted message said:

and let cook for a while then add the peas/mushrooms. I
think it's my

gravy

Quoted message said:

that really sucks. Since I don't always have home prepared
beef stock, I usually add an oxo cube and flour, but there
is not a lot of flavour.

I've

Quoted message said:

also used canned beef stock with the same tasteless
results - and quite salty. Am I missing an ingredient to
make the gravy more interesting.

I'm making this tonight, so any suggestions or
improvements welcome. Elaine

Perhaps some tomato paste in your gravy? Here in the US,
tomato paste comes in a small can and is very condensed. Are
you adding salt and pepper and any other seasonings?

Dora

"Katra" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <4086b9bb$1_1@aeinews.>, "elaine"

Quoted message said:

I love shepherd's pie although when I make it, it
never quite turns

out

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the same as I remember from growing up. The recipe is
very simple

hamburger onions peas mushrooms if I have them
mashed potatoes Cook in oven for 1 hour

So I brown the hamburger, drain the grease, add the
onions - make a

gravy

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and let cook for a while then add the peas/mushrooms.
I think it's my

gravy

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that really sucks. Since I don't always have home
prepared beef

stock, I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

usually add an oxo cube and flour, but there is not a
lot of flavour.

I've

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

also used canned beef stock with the same tasteless
results - and

quite

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

salty. Am I missing an ingredient to make the gravy
more interesting.

I'm making this tonight, so any suggestions or
improvements welcome. Elaine

Add a little brown sugar. Seriously. This was my mom's
secret...

Add it slowly to taste.

Garlic would not hurt either.

Thanks, yes I do sometimes add garlic. But I was honestly
thinking that perhaps there was a difference between
Scottish hamburger and Canadian hamburger. Far
fetched..... but who knows.
E.

Far as I can tell said:

I love shepherd's pie although when I make it, it never
quite turns out the same as I remember from growing up.

Funny... I feel the same about Jello.

Honestly though, like a good soup or stew, they always seem
to taste better as leftovers.

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 14:09:54 -0400, "elaine" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I love shepherd's pie although when I make it, it never
quite turns out the same as I remember from growing up.
The recipe is very simple

hamburger onions peas mushrooms if I have them mashed
potatoes Cook in oven for 1 hour

So I brown the hamburger, drain the grease, add the
onions - make a gravy and let cook for a while then add
the peas/mushrooms. I think it's my gravy that really
sucks. Since I don't always have home prepared beef
stock, I usually add an oxo cube and flour, but there is
not a lot of flavour. I've also used canned beef stock
with the same tasteless results - and quite salty. Am I
missing an ingredient to make the gravy more interesting.

Worcestershire sauce

Tara

Aaag! That's not shepherd's pie! That's cottage pie.
Shepherd's pie is so called because it has lamb or
mutton in it.

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:4086b9bb$1_1@aeinews....

Quoted message said:

I love shepherd's pie although when I make it, it never
quite turns out the same as I remember from growing up.
The recipe is very simple

hamburger onions peas mushrooms if I have them mashed
potatoes Cook in oven for 1 hour

So I brown the hamburger, drain the grease, add the
onions - make a

gravy

Quoted message said:

and let cook for a while then add the peas/mushrooms. I
think it's my

gravy

Quoted message said:

that really sucks. Since I don't always have home prepared
beef stock, I usually add an oxo cube and flour, but there
is not a lot of flavour.

I've

Quoted message said:

also used canned beef stock with the same tasteless
results - and quite salty. Am I missing an ingredient to
make the gravy more interesting.

I'm making this tonight, so any suggestions or
improvements welcome. Elaine

"Petey the Wonder Dog" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Far as I can tell said:

I love shepherd's pie although when I make it, it
never quite turns

out

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the same as I remember from growing up.

Funny... I feel the same about Jello.

Yeah, 'suppose that's life.......things seem different
when you look back!

Anyway, made my shepherds pie... no peas in the cupboard
so I used lentils, brown sugar (thanks to Katra for the
suggestion), garlic, steak seasoning, beef powder and
parsley ---- little bit of fresh lemon - no idea why.
Bubbling in the oven as I write!
E.

Here is a vegetarian cottage pie I make sometimes. It's very
good and hard to tell there's no meat in it.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Helen's Vegetarian Cottage Pie

Recipe By : Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Family

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method --------
------------ -------------------------------- 4 oz Adzuki
beans, soaked -- soaked 2 oz Brown rice, soaked Water for
boiling 1 tb Vegetable oil 1 md Onion, chopped 8 oz
Carrots, thinly sliced 1 tb Soy sauce 2 tb Tomato paste 1
t Parsley 1 t Garlic powder
1/2 ts Oregano 1 t Basil
2/2 ts Marjoram 1 1/4 cups Bean stock Salt & pepper 3 c
Mashed potatoes

Wash the beans & rice in plenty of cold water. Combine
about 4 cups of water with beans & rice & cook for 50
minutes or until the beans are soft. Drain, reserving the
stock for later.

Heat oil in a skillet. Fry the onions for 3 minutes. Add
the carrots & cookk covered for 5 minutes. Add the cooked
beans & rice. Stir well & let saute for a few minutes,
ensuring that the mixture does not burn. Combine the siy
sauce, tomato paste, herbs & stock. Mix well & pour into
the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low,
partially cover & simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring
frquently to prevent it burning. Add more stock if
necessary. Transfer into a casserole.

Top the cooked vegetables with mashed potatoes. Bake
in a preheated oven at 350F for 40 minutes, or until
the potatoes are browned. Serve with vegetables or a
green salad.

From Sarah Brown, "Vegetarian Kitchen"

NOTE: I add beef stock powder that is vegetarian.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 714 Calories; 59g Fat
(71.3% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 7g
Dietary Fiber; 3mg Cholesterol; 5010mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1
1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Vegetable; 11 1/2 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:4086f0ab_3@aeinews....

Quoted message said:

"Petey the Wonder Dog" <[email hidden]> wrote
in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Far as I can tell said:

I love shepherd's pie although when I make it, it
never quite turns

out

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the same as I remember from growing up.

Funny... I feel the same about Jello.

Yeah, 'suppose that's life.......things seem different
when you look

back!

Quoted message said:

Anyway, made my shepherds pie... no peas in the cupboard so
I used
lentils, brown sugar (thanks to Katra for the suggestion),
garlic, steak
seasoning, beef powder and parsley ---- little bit of fresh
lemon - no

idea

Quoted message said:

why. Bubbling in the oven as I write!
E.

elaine said:

I love shepherd's pie although when I make it, it never
quite turns
out the same as I remember from growing up. The recipe is
very simple

hamburger onions peas mushrooms if I have them mashed
potatoes Cook in oven for 1 hour

So I brown the hamburger, drain the grease, add the
onions - make a gravy and let cook for a while then add
the peas/mushrooms. I think it's my gravy that really
sucks. Since I don't always have home prepared beef
stock, I usually add an oxo cube and flour, but there is
not a lot of flavour. I've also used canned beef stock
with the same tasteless results - and quite salty. Am I
missing an ingredient to make the gravy more
interesting.

I'm making this tonight, so any suggestions or
improvements welcome. Elaine

You're missing the *gravy*. Adding boullion or a cube or
even stock isn't the same as gravy. You need a thickener
- arrowroot or a cornstarch slurry or even a
flour/butter mixture.

Jill

"Katra" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <4086b9bb$1_1@aeinews.>, "elaine"

Quoted message said:

I love shepherd's pie although when I make it, it
never quite turns

out

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the same as I remember from growing up. The recipe is
very simple

hamburger onions peas mushrooms if I have them mashed
potatoes Cook in oven for 1 hour

So I brown the hamburger, drain the grease, add the
onions - make a

gravy

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and let cook for a while then add the peas/mushrooms. I
think it's my

gravy

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that really sucks. Since I don't always have home
prepared beef stock,

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

usually add an oxo cube and flour, but there is not a
lot of flavour.

I've

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

also used canned beef stock with the same tasteless
results - and quite salty. Am I missing an ingredient to
make the gravy more interesting.

I'm making this tonight, so any suggestions or
improvements welcome. Elaine

Simple recipe. Brown beef with onions, drain, add a can of
gravy, a can of tomato paste, a dash of worchester sauce.
Mix in a 10 oz. frozen pkg of peas and carrots. Top with
your own recipe of mashed taters with some cheese mixed in
them. Top the taters with cheese, then I sprinkle on some
Old Bay. Pop in oven for 1/2 hour. -Ginny

Quoted message said:

elaine said:

I love shepherd's pie although when I make it, it never
quite turns out the same as I remember from growing up.
The recipe is very simple

hamburger onions peas mushrooms if I have them mashed
potatoes Cook in oven for 1 hour

So I brown the hamburger, drain the grease, add the
onions - make a gravy and let cook for a while then add
the peas/mushrooms. I think it's my gravy that really
sucks. Since I don't always have home prepared beef
stock, I usually add an oxo cube and flour, but there
is not a lot of flavour. I've also used canned beef
stock with the same tasteless results - and quite
salty. Am I missing an ingredient to make the gravy
more interesting.

Season the gravy with say worchestershire sauce or dry
sherry, but be careful of too much salt. Possibly when you
were growing up the pie was made from leftover roast beast
so the gravy was better..

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on
nothing but food and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

Quoted message said:

So I brown the hamburger, drain the grease,

###############
Theres your problem ...don't drain the grease. thats all the
flavor you are missing. BG

"BillKirch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So I brown the hamburger, drain the grease,

###############
Theres your problem ...don't drain the grease. thats all
the flavor you

are

Quoted message said:

missing. BG

Is shepherd's pie in the US made with ground beef? In the UK
shepherd's pie is made with ground up lamb (the reason for
the dishes name), and cottage pie is made with ground beef.

"what?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"BillKirch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So I brown the hamburger, drain the grease,

###############
Theres your problem ...don't drain the grease. thats
all the flavor

you

Quoted message said:

are

Quoted message said:

missing. BG

Is shepherd's pie in the US made with ground beef? In
the UK shepherd's

pie

Quoted message said:

is made with ground up lamb (the reason for the dishes
name), and

cottage

Quoted message said:

pie is made with ground beef.

The lamb could very well be the difference. I did a google
search before posting and most, if not all recipes called
for ground beef (even British ones). Next time I'm going
to use ground lamb. BTW I did not drain the fat in my
latest attempt - for exactly the reason you mentioned.

E.

what? <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is shepherd's pie in the US made with ground beef?

Yes, in spite of what some people try to assert, shepard's
pie in the US is made with ground beef.

Quoted message said:

In the UK shepherd's pie is made with ground up lamb (the
reason for the dishes name), and cottage pie is made with
ground beef.

Ground lamb is virtually unknown in the US. In most
supermarkets you'd have to order it special, if you could
even get it that way.

Brian Rodenborn

Brian Rodenborn said:

Quoted message said:

In the UK shepherd's pie is made with ground up lamb
(the reason for the dishes name), and cottage pie is
made with ground beef.

Ground lamb is virtually unknown in the US. In most
supermarkets you'd have to order it special, if you could
even get it that way.

Really? While I wouldn't call it a big seller, all of the
major grocery stores here in Lebanon, NH carry it.

--
Richard W Kaszeta [email hidden]
kaszeta.orgrichOpen ↗

Brian Rodenborn <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]... [snip]

Quoted message said:

Ground lamb is virtually unknown in the US.

Hmm. I wouldn't say that.

Quoted message said:

In most supermarkets you'd have to order it special, if
you could even get it that way.

Hmmm. My supermarkets must be more special than yours; it's
right alongside the beef.

The Ranger

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Brian Rodenborn <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]... [snip]

Quoted message said:

Ground lamb is virtually unknown in the US.

Hmm. I wouldn't say that.

Quoted message said:

In most supermarkets you'd have to order it special, if
you could even get it that way.

Hmmm. My supermarkets must be more special than yours;
it's right

alongside

Quoted message said:

the beef.

The Ranger

Up until just the last 5 years or so I'd never seen lamb of
any kind in any of the supermarkets in this area. It's only
been in the last 5 years or so that I've started seeing lamb
and then it's only around Easter.

Kathy

In article <[email hidden]>, cuhulain_-
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Brian Rodenborn <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]... [snip]

Quoted message said:

Ground lamb is virtually unknown in the US.

Hmm. I wouldn't say that.

Quoted message said:

In most supermarkets you'd have to order it special, if
you could even get it that way.

Hmmm. My supermarkets must be more special than yours;
it's right alongside the beef.

Ditto - ground beef, ground pork, ground veal, ground lamb
(and a meatloaf mixture of veal, pork and beef all in the
same package (a small mound of each) are all available from
my local Safeway.
--
Donna A pessimist believes all women are bad. An optimist
hopes they are.