Cottage Pie

There is a distinct difference between a Shepherd’s pie and a Cottage pie: Shepherd’s Pie is typically made with ground lamb or mutton, whereas Cottage Pie uses ground beef primarily. Because we at Ballerina Farm raise both cows and pigs, we thought we would take our own take on this classic dish and use both ground pork and beef to highlight the amazing quality meats that we offer. 

Ingredients

For the mashed potatoes:

• 1-2 pounds washed Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4-6 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cup grated cheddar cheese
• Ballerina Farm Fine French Salt, to taste
• 1 cup of fine kosher salt

For the filling:

• 1 pound Ballerina Farm Ground Beef
• ½ pound Ballerina Farm Ground Pork
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• 1 cup carrot, finely diced
• ½ cup celery, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
• 3-4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4-6 cups beef bone broth
• 3-4 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
• A few squirts of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish
• Ballerina Farm Garlic & Herb French Salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2. In a shallow pan, add a layer of kosher salt (or fine sea salt) and add your potatoes on top.
3. Poke with a fork or knife so they don’t explode in the oven. Bake for 40-55 minutes, or until fork tender.
4. Once your potatoes are cooked, with the help of a towel or hot pad, peel the potatoes and then pass immediately through a ricer or sieve.
5. Add in your butter, and your milk little by little until your desired consistency.
6. Season with salt and ½ cup of the grated cheddar cheese. Set aside until assembly.
7. In a bowl, add in your ground pork and ground beef and season with a few pinches of Garlic & Herb French Salt. Set aside.
8. Take a heavy-bottomed pan (cast iron or 5-ply stainless steel) and place over medium high heat.
9. Add in your mixed meat and sear off until golden brown, making sure to do this in batches as to give your meat ample space in the pan to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
10. In the same pan with the excess fat from the meat, add in your carrot, celery and onion and sweat down until translucent and aromatic.
11. Add in your tomato paste, your minced garlic and chopped herbs. Cook for 1-2 minutes additionally.
12. Add back to the pan your cooked off meat and your bone broth and bring to a rapid simmer.
13. Let reduce and cook for 20-30 minutes or until thick and syrupy.
14. Take off the heat and add in your Worcestershire sauce, mustard and chopped parsley.
15. To assemble the cottage pie, add your filling to the bottom of an oven-safe dish or a large pan.
16. Cover with your mashed potatoes, and using a fork, create a grid on the top.
17. Finish with the ¼ cup of grated cheddar cheese and bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and hot throughout.
18. *Pro tip, place your baking dish on a sheet tray or something to catch any liquid that spills or boils over while it is cooking as to not burn anything on the bottom of the oven and create a smoke-filled oven.*

Bon appétit !