Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375.
2. Cube the sirloin or chuck (1/2 cubes are good for this).
3. Roughly peel the potatoes. Leave the divots of skin or some strips for extra flavor.
4. Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil.
5. Boil the potatoes until soft.
6. While the potatoes boil saute the onions and carrots in a large iron skillet with high sides using enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the skillet.
7. Sprinkle a little of the salt onto the onions and carrots while cooking – a couple of pinches.
8. When the onions are translucent add the mushrooms to the skillet and continue to saute until the mushrooms are soft.
9. Once the mushrooms are soft turn up the heat to medium high and stir the vegetables until the pan is hot.
10. Once the pan is hot enough to start caramelizing the onions add the cubed beef and stir to combine.
11. Add the Worcestershire sauce to the beef.
12. Cook this mixture on med-high heat until the beef is done.
13. Once the beef is done add two or more cups of beef broth to the skillet.
14. Just enough to barely cover the beef and vegetables.
15. Add the 2 tbsp salt and 1 tbsp coarse ground black pepper to the skillet and bring to a boil.
16. Reduce mixture until the flavor is right, stirring and tasting frequently.
17. While the beef mixture is reducing drain the water from the boiled potatoes and return the potatoes to the pot.
18. Add 3 tbsp butter to the potatoes.
19. Add 1 cup of milk to the potatoes and mash.
20. Mash until stiff peaks form on the potatoes, adding milk as necessary.
21. Make a slurry using 4 tbsp cornstarch and 1/3 cup of beef broth.
22. Slowly add the slurry to the boiling beef mixture in the skillet stirring constantly until the broth thickens to a gravy-like consistency.
23. Remove the skillet from the hot burner immediately once the broth reaches the right thickness.
24. Add the frozen peas to the beef mixture and stir to mix.
25. Let the beef mixture cool for ten minutes.
26. Once the beef mixture has cooled for ten minutes spread the potatoes over the top of the beef mixture, still in the skillet, making sure to that the potatoes are about an inch thick all over and that they touch the sides of the skillet.
27. Use a butter knife to cut slits around the outside of the potato covering to allow for the broth boiling through.
28. Optional: Spread melted butter over the top of the potatoes covering to aid browning.
29. Place the skillet in the 375 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until the potato covering is golden to medium brown.
30. Remove from oven very carefully and let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving.
31. Use a ladle to serve the shepherd’s pie into large shallow bowls making sure a hefty serving of the topping makes into each bowl.
32. Serve with a hard bread (Irish soda bread goes great with this) and a nice dark beer.

Instructions

1. Chop up the bacon into small pieces and set aside.
2. Open the cans of salmon and mostly drain them. I usually just open them with a can opener, leave the lid on, and turn them upside down over the sink. You want some of the juice for flavor. Save one of the empty cans for later.
3. Use a potato masher to crush up the salmon.
4. Crack all of the eggs and mix in with the salmon using the potato masher.
5. Add 2 tsp salt
6. Add 1/2 tsp black pepper (I prefer fine ground for this)
7. Once the salmon and the eggs are well mixed, you want very few large pieces of salmon, begin crushing the crackers into the mixture. I do this using my hands and crush 4 or 5 crackers at a time. Use the potato masher as you add crackers to mix them in well. Add crackers until the mixture looks moist but starts to hold together but is not dry.
8. Set salmon and cracker mixture aside. Place frozen peas in a pot with enough water to almost cover the peas.
9. Add 1.5 cups of butter to the pot with the peas.
10. Place the chopped bacon into a skillet, I prefer iron skillets for this but to each his own, on med-high and cook until crisp.
11. Turn off the burner.
12. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the chopped bacon onto a plate covered with a paper towel. Pour the hot bacon grease into the salmon can you saved. (be careful: it will pop and it is hot grease)
13. Turn the pot with the peas on and bring to a boil while doing the next steps.
14. Place the skillet back on the burner and turn the burner to med or slightly higher.
15. Crush the crisp bacon and mic into the salmon and cracker mixture.
16. Place enough bacon grease in the skillet to cover the bottom but not enough to pool up.
17. Form patties out of the salmon and cracker mixture, size them to your liking. I usually like about 2-2.5 inches across and 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
18. Cook patties until they are browned on the outside and still a little moist in the center. Adjusting the heat as necessary.
19. When the peas come to a boil stir them and add 2-3 tsp salt and boil for five to ten minutes (depending on the brand and how soft you like your peas).

Instructions

1. In a large pot, 6 quarts or larger, add the vegetable oil and put on med-high heat.
2. Drop in the onion, bell pepper, celery, salt and pepper.
3. Saute until the celery is translucent. This can take up ten minutes and you have to stir it.
4. Drop in the garlic and and sautee for a couple more minutes and don’t stop stirring.
5. Turn the heat to high and add in everything else except the sausage (water before dry beans please).
6. Bring to a boil and let it go for about ten minutes.
7. Drop the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours stirring every 15-30 minutes.
8. During this time sear the link sausage in a frying pan (I prefer the Chappel Hill Jalepeno sausage for this but if you want a little less heat use the Chappel Hill Pork and Venison sauage)
9. Uncover and turn up the heat to make sure the simmer stays going, drop in your seared sausage and cook for about 30-45 minutes longer or until the whole mess is thickened the way you want it.
10. If it ain’t think enough grab your potato masher and crush up some the beans to thicken it a bit.
11. Serve over rice.

For really bad ass rice get you about 1/2 cup of butter, get it going in your pan over medium heat, set a kettle on to boil with the right amount of water for your rice, when the butter starts to sizzle drop in the dry rice and a couple pinches of salt (kosher is best), and stir all that around for about 3-4 minutes. Turn up the heat to high and pour in your boiling water. Drop the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.