Cenandi
Sam’s Shepherd’s Pie
November 25, 2022

Note: I know that everyone dislikes the wall of text preceding the actual recipe, but the United States Copyright Office requires “substantial literary expression” to accompany the ingredients and instructions. You can jump to the recipe by clicking here.

This recipe comes from Sam the Cooking Guy. Sam Zien is a Canadian chef and restauranteur who lives in the San Diego area. I came across his YouTube channel some years back and started finding inspiration in his creations.

This particular dish looked amazing so my wife and I decided to give it a try. This was before he published the recipes as he demonstrated them, so I watched the video multiple times to estimate the proportions. You see, Sam is the kind of chef that cooks by what looks and smells right, so his bottle shakes and weights are educated guesses based on experience. We have tweaked this recipe over time to fine-tune the details to our tastes.

Among those details are the proteins and the produce. We have tried ground beef, ground turkey, and ground bison, and the key to the protein is the fat content. The higher the fat, the more likely that the ground meat will stick together and stay substantial. We have also experimented with produce by adding bell peppers and mushrooms.

If you are not a meat-eater, I would love to hear how you adapt this recipe to your dietary needs. I don’t have enough experience with tofu or meat replacements but I want to learn as I grow and experiment.

Our red wine of choice for the dish is the famous “two-buck chuck” at Trader Joe’s. It’s a wine that cooks well and is enjoyable on its own. Note that the alcohol cooks off in the making of the dish, so the wine is providing an earthy and fruity body to the meal. We have also tried Yellow Tail. The key is getting an inexpensive bottle because you’re cooking with it. There’s no sense in using an expensive bottle of wine here.

This is one recipe that I recommend playing with. Even if it isn’t quite right for your palate, the results are still amazing. The leftovers are even better since the extra time allows the flavors to meld and enhance.

The original video by Sam the Cooking Guy can be found on YouTube (and is embedded below).

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Sam’s Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

Meat

• 1/2 lb bacon
• 1 lb ground meat or protein of choice

Produce

• 3 to 4 Yukon Gold potatoes (or equivalent)
• 1 yellow onion
• 3-4 large carrots
• 1-2 bell peppers (optional)
• 2 mushrooms (optional)
• 4 cloves garlic (unpeeled)
• 2 cloves garlic (pressed/minced)
• 1 handful of fresh spinach
• Chives or parsley for garnish

Dairy

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Liquids

• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup beef broth (or equivalent based on meat choice)
• 1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste

Spices and Staples

• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp rosemary
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)

Miscellaneous

• Aluminum foil
• Cooking oil of choice

Instructions

These instructions are separated into four parts, however, Part 2 and Part 3 should be accomplished simultaneously if possible.

Part 1 – Bacon

• Chop the bacon into bite-size pieces and cook in a frying pan
• Reserve 2 Tbsp of the cooking grease
• Place the bacon (and a small amount of grease as needed for moisture) in a warm space

Part 2 – Mashed Potatoes Topping

• Wrap unpeeled garlic cloves in aluminum foil and roast at 300°F for 30-45 minutes
• Chop the potatoes into similar-sized pieces
• Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes and drain thoroughly
• While the potatoes are boiling, combine butter and cream in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until melted
• Mash/whip the potatoes while adding the butter-cream mixture
• Add salt, pepper, paprika, and roasted garlic (discarding the paper skin)
• Mix in parmesan cheese
• Fold in bacon
• Set aside and keep warm

Part 3 – The Insides

• Finely chop the onion, carrots, (optional) bell peppers, and (optional) mushrooms
• Using the reserved bacon grease, soften the onion, carrots, and bell peppers over medium heat
• Add minced/pressed garlic and a splash of cooking oil, then cook until fragrant (30-60 sec)
• Add meat of choice and cook thoroughly
• If using mushrooms, mix them in and cook briefly
• Mix in the flour and allow to thicken
• Mix in wine and broth and allow to thicken
• Mix in Worchestershire sauce, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper
• Add spinach and mix until wilted
• Remove from heat

Part 4 – Finishing the Dish

• Add Part 3 contents to an oven-safe dish
• Top with mashed potatoes, ensuring complete coverage
• Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes
• Broil to crisp the top for 1-3 minutes
• Top with garnish and allow to rest for a short time (approx 5 minutes)
• Serve and enjoy

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Cenandi is a collection of recipes and culinary concoctions. Cooking is a dual expression of art and science, and I like making good meals and tasty treats for the people in my life.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.