My Version Of Shepherd's Pie......

Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 -5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1/2 cup sour cream (or a combination)
• 3 tablespoons bacon fat
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup beef stock or 1 cup beef broth
• 1 stalk celery, finely sliced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 can drained peas (type of peas to your preference)
• 1 lb ground beef (the leaner, the better)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• ground nutmeg
• ground cloves

Recipe

• 1 combine the herbs and grind in a mortar (if you don't have a mortar and pestle, sort of crush them into your palm with your thumb, but be careful with the rosemary, it's pointy!).
• 2 boil potatoes until cooked through.
• 3 drain; mash or rice the potatoes.
• 4 add the butter and stir until the butter has melted.
• 5 add the heavy/sour cream.
• 6 stir until the potatoes are very smooth.
• 7 in a frying pan, heat the bacon fat until hot but not smoking.
• 8 add the carrot, onion, and celery, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender.
• 9 add the ground beef and cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until browned.
• 10 skim off all the fat but reserve any juices.
• 11 sprinkle the flour over the beef and cook, stirring, until the flour has dissolved.
• 12 add the beef stock, peas (i use the whole can, you may want to use less), rosemary and thyme, and a pinch each of the cloves and nutmeg.
• 13 simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
• 14 turn the meat mixture into a 1 1/2 qt casserole, and even the mixture out with a rubber spatula.
• 15 gently spoon the potatoes over the top and smooth with a rubber spatula, using gentle sweeping motions.
• 16 sprinkle a little heavy cream over the top and bake in a 400 degree f oven for about 1/2 hour to heat through.
• 17 the cream should brown over the potatoes.
• 18 serve warm.