Thread: Props Country Pie

Right this is my version of a Country Pie and first attempt at a cooking thread. Can't do worse than DD or KW I hope.

Ingrediants

2lb - 900 gms Spuds
Blob of butter
Dash of milk
blob of lard
Couple of onions
1lb - 450 gms Minced Beef
Couple of bacon rashers
Flour 1 tablespoon
Beef stock
Tin Tomatoes
good handful Frozen peas
Garlic



So first peel your spuds, cut up and put on the boil for 20 -25 mins. Peel and dice yer onions, carrots and couple of bits of Garlic and you should have something like this



Coffe Break time

Melt yer lard in a large frying pan or sumthing similar. I use this old enamel thing that I picked up in a Spanish market years ago and has served me well. Throw all the chopped onions etc in there and fry for about 5 - 10 mins



Till they look some thing like this



Cut up yer rashers of bacon into thin strips and chuck this in with the mince and add to your pan, cook gently mixing with a fork or something handy for 5 minutes or so.

Now add your seasoning, plenty of black pepper and garlic salt for me and your flour and mix well



Add about 1/4 pint (150 ml) of stock to this. I use a couple of OXO cubes for this, bring to the boil and then simmer for say another 5 minutes.



Hopefully by then it will look something like this



Now that is smelling nice.

Now that you have got this done yer spuds should now be ready for mashing. Add your dollop of butter and splash of milk and mash away. I don't like me mash to creamy as it absorbs moisture from the meat mix in the final cooking and then can become to sloppy.



Spread the meat mixture into an ovenproof casserole. Add your tomotoes (I use tinned toms as I cant be arsed to skin fresh ones) then sprinkle frozen peas all over the top



Then you gotta spread yer mash all over the top



Now slap into a pre heated oven at 200 C or 400 F for roughly 40 mins till the top looks brown. Personnally after 20 mins I take out the over and sprinkle with grated chedder cheese over the top and then put back in for the last 20 mins



The finished County Pie

Bloody delicious it was. Gordon Ramsey eat yer heart out




Buuuurp

That looks so lovely, I hope it tastes good too.

Yummy! Thanks, Props. I just made one last week, but should have added the peas.

Instead of the oven stage would it still work if you wacked it under the grill? I don't have an oven! It does look good mate. Although I suppose I could add it to the criteria for the next suitable girlfriend, must own her own oven

I call that a cottage pie with beef and shepherds pie with lamb.

^ Me too.

What is it called if you use chicken or pork mince?

Wow ... looks the absolute delish mate. Mrs. Kerr spent a few hours this evening on Google looking for recipes and she reckons yours look the best of all .

Thanks Wayne that is indeed a compliment. Lily, agreed about the terminoligy of the pies. My old Gran used to make this a lot and with the addition of more veggies than the recipe stated. (Meat was rationed then) There are many variations on the theme of cottage and shepherds pie. I sometimes put mushrooms, thinly sliced leeks or peppers in with it. Plus the use of a hot chilli sauce or paste soon makes it differant again.

Machman - dont know about wether a grill would do it. Probably cook your meat mixture fore about half hour more, time the finishing of the Spuds to coincide with the meat and then slap under grill for say 10 mins. Trial and error will provide answer

^ That would work. The grill would brown the mash nicely. Can also brush a bit of butter on top beforehand.

Yes the grill method worked fine, infact it worked so well I ate the whole pie in one go

^ Porkie.