St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and I am turning to the Landesverband Frauengruppe Cookbook for a Shepherd’s Pie recipe. Shepherd’s Pie, a popular dish in the UK and Ireland, is typically made with lamb; however, Anna Wiegert’s (Chicago Donauschwaben) “Shepherd’s Pie-German Style” is made with beef and pork. It is topped with mashed potatoes and Anna’s addition of bacon.
Shepherd’s Pie was originally created to transform leftovers into a new, more appealing dish. I seem to always find myself with leftover mashed potatoes that end up in the trash after drying out in the refrigerator for three days. This recipe allows you incorporate leftover potatoes into your next meal. Although the bacon is optional, I found that it played a key role in the recipe especially if you are using leftovers that need to be brought back to life.
While in some Shepherd’s Pie recipes you may find vegetables, Anna Wiegert’s recipe is simpler allowing you to serve it with any vegetable you like on the side. I served mine with Cincinnati Donauschwaben’s “String Beans with Fresh Parsley Sauce,” found on page 164 of the Landesverband Frauengruppe Cookbook. The string beans lightened up the meal by added freshness to the rich and hearty pie.
I look forward to making both of these recipes again. The string beans were delicious and the sauce came together very quickly. As for the Shepherd’s Pie, I could not get enough. Anna Wiegert took Irish dish and added German flavors to create a mouth-watering blend of cultures. You are definitely going to go back for more.
By Jenn Linemen Blank
Shepherd’s Pie German Style (Grumbeere und Fleisch Kuchen)
½ cup ground beef ¼ cup water
½ cup ground pork salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion finely chopped 1 clove minced garlic
½ breadcrumbs 1 cup mashed potatoes
1 egg 4-6 bacon strips (optional)-I used 8 to form the
lattice pattern.
Mix beef, pork, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, water, salt, pepper and garlic. Place in greased pie pan. Top with prepared mashed potatoes. Top with bacon strips if desired. Bake in 350 degree oven uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until meat is cooked.
If topping the pie with bacon, place on a baking sheet to catch any excess grease that may fall.
