This is a variation of something we saw on Diners & Dives. It has the same ingredients, but much easier to assemble. The original recipe has a pie crust bottom with potato top, but this was a “carb overload”. We tried it with our pie shells, as shown in the left image. It’s better without the pie crust in a crock (middle image), or even as a Shepards pie (right image). Either works well. The recipe will serve 2 to 3 healthy servings.
Ingredients:
- 1½ Pounds beef chuck, trimmed of fat and cut into 2″ size pieces
- ½ Tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ Tablespoon mustard powder
- ½ Tablespoon onion
- 1 Teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ Teaspoon celery seed
- ½ Teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ Teaspoon ground black pepper
- Oil to pan fry the beef
- 3 Cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ Onion, chopped
- 3 Sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 Sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 Cups (or more if needed) red wine
- Water or beef stock as needed
- If needed… a corn starch slurrie
- 2-3 Cups mashed potatoes (your favorite recipe)
- 1/4 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 Cup shredded provolone or cheddar cheese
- A little half and half
- Frozen corn if serving as Shepards pie
Directions: Preheat oven to 300° F
Mix all the spice powders (garlic, mustard, onion, salt, celery seed, ginger and pepper) in a bowl. Coat the beef cubes liberally with the rub. Bring a sauté pan up to medium heat. Add some oil and brown the meat. Do in several batches as not to crowd the pan.
After browning, remove the meat and cut into 1 inch pieces, then place in a Dutch oven. Deglaze the pan with a cup of the wine and pour over the meat. If you did not use all the rub on the meat, sprinkle another tablespoon over the meat. Add more wine so the meat is covered. Add the chopped garlic and onions along with the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Cover with a VERY tight lid and put into the 300° oven for 3 hours.
Check the meat ever hour or so to make sure the liquid has not evaporated. If it gets low, add some more wine, water, or stock. You will need this stock to make gravy. When done, carefully remove the meat to a separate bowl.
You need at least a cup of gravy, so add some additional wine/stock/water. Bring the gravy to a boil and cook for at least 5 minutes to cook the wine. Be sure to scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pan. Use an immersion blender to make the gravy smooth. It should be thick, so if it is too thin, add a little corn starch slurry to thicken it up. Add the meat back to the pan with the gravy and keep warm.
Prepare your favorite mashed potatoes. When done, add the shredded cheeses and a little cream and mix well.
The easiest way to serve this is to just scoop some meat on a plate then top with potatoes or corn and potatoes. You also can put it into a casserole dish or crock and bake it until browned on top.
