making a cottage pie

[Anonymous No.13744006]

Hello bongs! im asking for advice, help a yank out please and cheers! i'd like to make something different with ground beef so im interested in making a cottage pie. heres basically the recipe i plan to use, please see if its ok or change/add things you thing are wrong.

>filling:
chopped onion
carrots
ground beef
salt/pepper
flour
tomato paste
chicken broth
Worcestershire sauce
corn
(i dont have peas)

>taters
taters
cheese
cream
butter

will post results once i start cooking here in 30-40 min.

[Anonymous No.13744018]

>>13744006
cottage pie is made with minced lamb lad

[Anonymous No.13744020]

>>13744006
based. i wouldn't add corn but im sure it'll be fine.

[Anonymous No.13744027]

>>13744018
Well excUUUUUUUUUUUse ME

[Anonymous No.13744051]

>>13744018
It doesn’t matter. Everyone and their nan knows ‘cottage pie’ is just what your mum makes that’s super comfy and has some kind of minced meat in it. Stop being a fag, and let the based American make his supper.

>>13744006
Looks good, OP. I assume the chicken broth serves as some kind of stock. I’d use beef stock usually as the mince for this should be quite rich and beefy but not a biggie.

One thing I will say, though, is you should do a jug of gravy to pour over it when it’s done and being served. Usually, some kind of veg on the side (peas or beans usually), and then you pour gravy over the pie to keep it all nice and succulent.

But yeah, so far so good. Looking forward to seeing the results.

[Anonymous No.13744056]

Oh wait. >>13744051 again. Nope. Definitely no corn. Have corn on the side but that definitely doesn’t go in the pie.

[Anonymous No.13744130]

>>13744018
pardon? i thought that was shepherds pie?
>>13744020
i was thinking of adding the corn in the stead of peas
>>13744056
ive seen several recipes with corn, would it ruin it if i added it? seems like its a non issue to me, but if its gonna ruin it id rather not.
this looks like what we normally would do with say meatloaf or something with veggies and mashed potatoes, most people will mix them up together, a burger favorite that no one will ever really mention is mixing corn in with your mashed potatoes, its based.

[Anonymous No.13744132]

>>13744006
not a bong but me mum always put green beans in it

[Anonymous No.13744135]

>>13744051
yes anon, good call i was thinking of adding grravy into the meat but your idea is better

[Anonymous No.13744146]

>>13744130
It won’t ruin it at all - if anything it adds nice colour, but I’ve never seen it like that here. Saying that, though, this is the ultimate comfy food and everyone’s mum makes it slightly differently so it’s not a purist thing. It’s your dinner - if you want it in, go for it.

[Anonymous No.13744178]

>>13744135
Well, the meat should be saucy but not too lose. Like in your OP image, that’s not strictly right. It should be fairly solid when dishing up. So then the gravy just adds that little bit of moisture you’ve sacrificed to get it to come out like a square pie piece. It’s not mince and mashed potato - it still has to look on the plate like pie.

Related is about it although it’s still a little lose.

Oh, also be careful on your mash to mince ratio. You want about just over one third of the depth of the mince. A lot of cottage pies have just got too much mash and it ruins the ratios. Also, it’s not purist but I grate some cheese into the mash too as well as sprinkle on top so you get a nice fluffy topping. This is just my thing, though.

[Anonymous No.13744218]

Another American here, but having cooked this a bunch here's my advice:

Your filling needs garlic, red wine, and some fresh herbs (thyme and rosemary are a great combo) and it definitely DOESN'T need corn. No, it won't "ruin" it, but you aren't making a midwestern hotdish here. It doesn't really need flour, either, just cook out more of your liquid. It should be a thick meat sauce, almost like sloppy joe meat.

For better texture, grate both your onion and carrot and stir them in after you've browned your meat.

You should use parm in the potato topping, but I suppose something else is acceptable if that's all you have. If you want it to brown better and take on a nicer color, stir in an egg yolk.

[Anonymous No.13744228]

>have uncle who fucking loves gordon ramsay, has internalized his cottage-shepherd's pie autism
>has complained loudly at restaurants about beef ones being called "shepherd's"
>make one when the family comes to visit
>constantly switch between the two terms
>it's actually ground goat i got on sale from a swarthy arab

[Anonymous No.13744229]

>>13744006
Your mash should be very dry before application on top. Remember that or it will all be runny.

[Anonymous No.13744239]

>>13744018
>cottage
Beef.
>shepherds
Lamb.

[Anonymous No.13744246]

>>13744229
>>13744218
thanks based anons!

[Anonymous No.13744270]

>>13744051
>jug of gravy to pour over i
Fat stupid fuck.

[Anonymous No.13744281]

>>13744218
> needs garlic, red wine, and some fresh herbs
Sorry, but this is not cottage pie. Maybe that’s your take on it, but it’s definitely not how we do it. Don’t get me wrong - I fucking love cooking with wine and garlic, but I would never put either in cottage pie. At a push, herbs should be limited to parsley, nothing else.

[Anonymous No.13744290]

>>13744281
>>13744270
>>13744218
>>13744178
>>13744146
something tells me cottage pie is in the same category as meatloaf, everyone has a different recipe and they think theirs is correct.
its hard to know in what direction to turn anons, pray for me

[Anonymous No.13744296]

>>13744270
> I’m not British and have no idea how cottage pie works
Fuck off.

[Anonymous No.13744298]

Here's what I have going so far...

[Anonymous No.13744302]

>>13744281
We don't need you being a faggoty gatekeeper over a dish because your puckered nan does it differently, nevermind that I got all of that advice from a British recipe.

And parsley in a fucking cottage pie? You really are clueless.

[Anonymous No.13744304]

>>13744290
Nah. It’s roughly the same recipe. You can add things to it, sure, but it’s standard mince, onions, peas (and/or carrot), and then slow cooked, thickened, dash of Worcester sauce, topped with mash potato (grated cheese optional). That’s the OG. Slight variations are ok but not total deviations.

[Anonymous No.13744316]

>>13744218
>Your filling needs garlic, red wine, and some fresh herbs (thyme and rosemary are a great combo)
This. I suggest minced mushrooms browned with the beef, a splash of burgundy and beef base, some thyme,diced carrots, peas, and corn.The mushrooms really pull all of the flavors together.

[Anonymous No.13744321]

>>13744302
OP asked for input from bongs. Not uppity fucking trolls who just want to derail the thread because you, someone not British, has decided one of our most British dishes is too ‘bland’ and ‘not interesting’ enough for your fucking gourmet arse.

Nobody in this country would ever put wine and garlic and hErBs in a cottage pie. Maybe other try-hard cunts like you, but definitely not anyone who grew up with this dish.

Anything else, idiot?

[Anonymous No.13744327]

>>13744302
>>13744316
Literally just ruined an otherwise comfy based thread.

[Anonymous No.13744338]

>>13744327
How? My recipe comes from a French cook book.

[Anonymous No.13744340]

>>13744321
>doubling down on cringe
Why? All you had to do was shut the fuck up and not get up your own fat full breakfast ass about a dish with plenty of variation. Grow the fuck up, kiddo.

[Anonymous No.13744344]

It's fuckin' meat sauce with mashed tatoes, there's no reason to be a dick about any of it.

I wouldn't bother with gravy. The pie itself should be rich and unctuous and saucy enough. It benefits from a LOT of cooked down vegetables. I do leeks. Give it some tomato, give it some acidity, give it some sweetness, give it plenty of salt.

[Anonymous No.13744348]

>>13744340
You fucked the thread, man. Congratulations.

[Anonymous No.13744349]

>>13744006
I love me some Chinese pie.

[Anonymous No.13744356]

>>13744348
Good, you can leave now. Bye.

[Anonymous No.13744371]

>>13744356
> No trolling outside of /b/.
You’re the reason we can’t have nice things.

[Anonymous No.13744380]

>>13744006
Protip:Pepperoni and cheese, with a dusting of BBQ potato chip crumbs, toasted in the last ten minutes.To die for.

[Anonymous No.13744383]

>>13744371
I thought the thread was fucked? What are you still doing here if not exactly what you're condemning me for? Get over yourself.

[Anonymous No.13744430]

>>13744018
Wrong. Lamb mince = Sheppard's Pie.

[Anonymous No.13744506]

>>13744298
Where's it at now?

[Anonymous No.13744512]

Why is it called cottage pie instead of cowherd's pie

[Anonymous No.13744646]

Oh wow this thread. Never change.
Got filling going, ready to thicken now

[Anonymous No.13744661]

Here is finished filling. See no corn mom!

[Anonymous No.13744665]

>>13744646
That looks way greasier than it should, anon. Might want to skim that fat first. What % beef did you use?

[Anonymous No.13744671]

>>13744661
This looks pukka. Good job, OP.

[Anonymous No.13744762]

>>13744665
Anon. I drained the fat and rinsed it. I'm anal about that as I don't enjoy the taste of ground beef fat for some reason. Here is a pic with more light
>>13744671
Had to look up pukka, thanks anon, or cheers rather

[Anonymous No.13744777]

>>13744281
Then why do videos and recipes from the most popular and famous British chefs all use those ingredients? Nobody cares how you toothless fucks do it in backwoods bumfuckistan.

[Anonymous No.13744807]

Here's my taters, whipped up nicely. Just used butter and heavy cream a lil cheese, they are very stiff

[Anonymous No.13744827]

Hope I didn't fuck it up

[Anonymous No.13744845]

This thread making me hungry for mashed potatoes, man. I'm gonna have to make some tonight and get my fix.

[Anonymous No.13744848]

>>13744827
SEAL YOUR EDGES

[Anonymous No.13744919]

>>13744848
Ahh I didn't know, it didn't make too much if a mess though.
So I added a lil cheese for some color, hope this didn't fuck it up either

[Anonymous No.13744924]

Came out nicely for not knowing wtf I was doing and winging it

[Anonymous No.13744930]

>>13744919
That looks pretty good, anon. Enjoy.

[Anonymous No.13744937]

looks good op, great job

[Anonymous No.13744953]

what a disgusting abomination
imagine being unable to lift your fork THREE WHOLE TIMES to ingest the protein, the carbohydrates and the vegetables separately
NO
it must be combined into an easily digestible PIE form for the utterly down-syndrome people of the british isles
how utterly revolting

[Anonymous No.13744973]

>>13744930
>>13744937
Hey thanks guys and thanks to all who helped, I followed a lot of advice from this thread.

Notes, I did like it, but I feel i could add a little more flavor next time. All in all it was good, 7/10 seems like great comfort food.

[Anonymous No.13745334]

>>13744924
Personally think it looks a tiny bit dry, but if you don't know what you're doing and wing it, or just prefer it like that, then good job.
I use a lot of pepper in both the mash and the mince because i like the warmth, which some people don't like, so you do you.

[Anonymous No.13745365]

>>13744919
Try smoothing the top down and brushing with some milk and egg to get a but of browning on top.

[Anonymous No.13745384]

>>13744953
Imagine being this much of a twit.

[Anonymous No.13745410]

>>13745334
Agreed, I was concerned with it being too soupy so I made sure it wasn't. I'll make it more saucy next time
>>13745365
Ohh ok is that what you want? Thanks anon

[Anonymous No.13746337]

>>13744924
Bong here from last night.

This looks outstanding, OP. If you made that here, you’d be a proper lad. I disagree that it’s dry. You want to be really careful with too much liquid as it just looks sloppy on the plate, plus you risk the mash seeping into it and messing up the overall flavour and consistency. One of the reasons gravy is so important with this dish.

Also, for deeper flavour, as before: a good, rich beef stock will go a long way here. Adding wine, etc. is absolutely haram. This dish is quintessentially British - stodgy, flavoursome, focuses on the quality of the meat and the creaminess of the potato.

Overall: 10/10, you’re welcome here for a pint or ten anytime.

[Anonymous No.13746347]

>>13744827
Perfection. Just perfect.

[Anonymous No.13746700]

>>13744228
kek

[Anonymous No.13746703]

>>13746337
second this

[Anonymous No.13746761]

>>13744924
>cuts it out like a slice of regular pie
Heh, that's cute

Just fyi burgerfriend, in future you can scoop out your servings with a large serving spoon

[Anonymous No.13746789]

>>13746761
I mean, you can, but it serves like shit if you do that. And he's the ignorant one? Fuck. I have a cottage or shepherd's pie at least once a week and I really hate you right now.

[Anonymous No.13746875]

>>13746761
It IS a pie, you fucking doink.

[Anonymous No.13746886]

>>13744762
‘Pukka’ in the UK means ‘authentic’, ‘genuine’, ‘the real deal’. As in: “that sauce you made there is absolutely spot on; totally pukka interpretation of the recipe”.

[Anonymous No.13746891]

>>13746886
Pukka means nothing to normal people here. One faggot tried to invent a word and FUCK HIM because he ruined school lunches.

[Anonymous No.13746904]

>>13744006
>cheese on cottage pie
Fucking Americans.

[Anonymous No.13746912]

>>13744018
WRONG, NIGGERFAGGOT

[Anonymous No.13746954]

>>13746891
We say pukka all the time in London. Nobody gives a shit what you Mancunian car thieves ‘talk’ like.

[Anonymous No.13746959]

>>13746904
Loads of people put cheese on their cottage pie, you nonce.

[Anonymous No.13747131]

>>13746904
pardon?
>>13746959
im calling this is correct. i scoured about 20 different recipes for cottage pie, i tried to find the most authentic as i could bassed on what little knowledge is available to me and i'd say most of the recipes call for cheese in the mash. the few pieces on top are for color mostly. I have a new convection oven that im still trying to feel out so it browned a little sooner than i wanted. love the convection ovens btw, would 1000% recommend.
>>13746891
>>13746886
English is a funny language innit?
>>13746761
thanks, as you can tell i had no idea what i was doing.
>>13746347
>>13746337
>>13744930
>>13744937
cheers mates. i tried my ass off on it so getting the seal of approval from some actual brits, as the cajuns say, is da toppin on da cake!

[Anonymous No.13747294]

>>13744006
You're pretty on it so far, OP, and have already hit upon the classic W-something sauce. As a bong, I'm not really interested in the ingredients being exact, but you can't go wrong with what you've posted as long as you cook it competently. I'd recommend some MSG or possibly even a Knorr (TM) Stock Pot* to enhance the meatiness.

*other brands and forms of stock are available

[Anonymous No.13747402]

>>13747294
thanks for the tips anon. i actually put some of pic related in there. about 1 teaspoon. in hindsight i could have doubled that no problem. i keep these on hand at all times, i wish i had time to make stock. maybe when im old
>w-something sauce?
worchestershire(sp) sauce?

[Anonymous No.13747410]

>>13746886
No it doesn't. What in the everloving fuck are you talking about.

[Anonymous No.13747796]

>>13747410
Sure it does. Stop being a fucking moron.

>>13747131
English is the greatest language on earth, based OP. And being able to eat English food is something all great men deserve.

You did a great job. Please look into pic related should you ever wish to ply our culinary waters again. The king daddy of all British comfy food: the steak and kidney pud.

>>13747294
Yeah, we get those stock pots here. I didn’t realise you guys did or I would’ve recommended that to OP. I use the very rich beef one or whatever it’s called whenever I make this (at least one for an average pot size). That mince needs to be really rich and beefy so some kind of stock is essential. Also slow cooking time at low heat so the end result is very smooth and combines with the mash perfectly in your mouth.

>>13747131
Correct. You can either put it in or on top of the mash but every mum who knows how to make this best knows to put it into the mash and whip it in before putting on top. Makes the mash go all fluffy. Extra sprinkle on top is optional but preferable.

[Anonymous No.13747880]

>>13747796
OP here, thanks for the compliment kind sir. i actually did add some beef base into the filling as i was adding in the liquids. about 1 tsp or so

idk about kidney anon. the rest looks great. how long is that meat simmered before it goes in there and what kind of steak? look like chunks of roast or something. honestly i would try this except for the kidney bits. thinking about it is sending my anziety into overdrive so i couldnt imagine myself ever taking a bite of them.
ive noticed that a lot of british foods are brown, would you agree and why? worchestershire sauce? a lot of gravy? im genuinely curious.

[Anonymous No.13748253]

>>13747880
Oh, you don’t need to add kidney. You could do big chunks of mushroom, or even bacon if you wanted. The reason I recommended this is because it has a suet pastry and needs to be steamed so I thought you might like to try as you seem to dig cooking.

It’s a bit faffy but the end result is simply glorious. Seriously, this is like the haute dish of traditional British cooking. If you can make this here, you’re pretty much a god. Anyway, it’s just a suggestion and there’s loads more you can try. Kidney is definitely not obligatory. Steak is any good, cheap cut of stewing steak as you need it to survive both the stewing and steaming times. If you’re interested, then I’d find a good recipe and just adapt it to take out the kidney and replace with big mushrooms or bacon. Both should work really well. The real payoff off for this is that pastry.

As for our food - that’s an interesting observation. Generally, British palates are quite bland. We’re not spice and complex flavours people. Traditionally anyway. I think it might be because a lot of our favourite dishes originated with the working classes who really like filling, stodgy sort of food. Especially up North where it’s cold and rainy a lot. Also, people generally used to eat their big meal at lunch time (as they were labourers), so they wanted something filling but simple. Hence, we’ve got a big thing about meat with potatoes and gravy - a lot of dishes like this (cottage pie, pies generally, roasts, etc.). I think anyway. It’s a really interesting question.

[Anonymous No.13748490]

>>13744006
I make this, but a bit different. Here's my recipe:

Mashed potatoes (one box for topping). Once the potatoes have been cooked, stir in 1/2
jar mayonnaise and 1 tsp chipotle salt.

For the filling:
1 can vegetable blend (with lima beans)
1 can of deenz, diced
1/2 jar pearl onions

Mix together and cook on stove. When finished, add the potatoes to the top. Simple and delicious.

[Anonymous No.13749215]

>>13744006
Late to the party but all beef dishes I make like this I will caramelize onion until sweet brown goo and add. I add caramelized on many of my dishes, so I should prob just make big batch and put in fridge.

[Anonymous No.13749656]

>>13747796
How can you get a decent gravy application on a steak and kidney pudding when you serve it on a fucking slab with no sides? It'll dribble all over my lap. Looks great though.

[Anonymous No.13749801]

>>13749656
Oh, I wouldn’t eat it like that. You’re right, it’s retarded. I just wanted to show OP what the pudding looked like.

[SUBMIT No.13750004]

>needs a recipe for shepherd's pie
I was like you once, but dude just look at the picture.

>ground beef
>carrot
>peas
>onions
>flour to thicken
>mashed potato topping
then add your favorite seasonings. It's so easy.

I'll give you a recipe off the top of my head:

brown 80% ground beef, remove from pan and don't drain fat
>cook root vegetables in the reserved tallow
>add 2-4 tbsp of flour along with seasonings
>slowly mix in the broth or water and Worcestershire
>add peas or corn at the end just before baking
>put beef back in
>cover with mashed potatoes and top with parm (optional)
>bake at 400F until potatoes are browned
ezpz

[SUBMIT No.13750375]

>>13748490
>boxed mashed potatoes
bruh
it's so easy to boil your own... why?

[Anonymous No.13751613]

>>13747880
Kidney makes the rest of the meat and gravy magnificently rich. If you don't like its texture you can mash it after cooking so it's completely indistinguishable from the rest.

[Anonymous No.13751617]

>>13750004
Shepherd's: Lamb/Mutton
Cottage: Beef/Pork
BECAUSE SHEPHERDS HERD SHEEP

[Anonymous No.13751804]

>>13750004
I didn't need a recipe, I posted my ingredients in the OP. I wanted British input in order to make it as authentic and accurate as possible. Your ingredients listed are nearly identical to min barring one or two things. Sure I could have just made it and not posted about it but what fun would that have been? Thanks for your input btw, im seeing the looseness of the dish and how there's no exact recipe for it. It's like whatever you or your mum like, and that's the definition of comfy

[Anonymous No.13751821]

>>13751804
Authentic and accurite shit britsh shit is boring as all fuck. get a life and throw a chlie pepper in there. Really.

[Anonymous No.13751826]

Nobody in their right mind gives a fuck about british or euro german bullshit.

[Anonymous No.13751847]

>>13751821
I add spice after it's cooked in case others who live here do not enjoy my heat level.

[Anonymous No.13753703]

>>13751826
And nobody cares about you, faggot.