The Black Labrador’s Shepherd’s Pie

Looking for comfort food?  Well, you’ve found it with this recipe.  Our weather turned cool last evening.  Let me define cool for you in South Texas…the temp went down to the 60′s…truly sweater weather:-)  With that cool front coming  in, I knew that the first dish of the fall had to be Shepherd’s Pie.  See the note at the end of this recipe for a description of The Black Labrador’s restaurant.

 2 lbs. ground chuck
1/4 lb. onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 oz. beef paste or bouillon
1 cup water
Flour
2 lbs. potatoes, cut in cubes
1/2 stick (4 tbls.) butter
2 carrots, scraped and sliced
1/4 lb. shredded Cheddar Cheese 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put cubes of potatoes in a sauce pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender.  Drain cooked potatoes and mash with butter; set aside.

Saute beef, onion, celery and garlic in a large pan until well-done, about 20 minutes.  Strain the beef mixture. 

Make a gravy with beef base and water and whisk in enough flour to thicken, about 2 tbls.  When gravy comes to a boil, add the beef mixture.  Blanch carrots (cook briefly in boiling water) and add to beef mixture. 

Place in a shallow 2-quart casserole or baking pan.  Spoon potatoes on top of beef. 

Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with cheese. 

Let sit until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings

The Black Labrador is an English Pub located in the Montrose/Museum area in Houston, Texas and is well known for the English dishes it serves.  The pub is a cozy restaurant that has a roaring fireplace and dart board.  The bar is located right by the fireplace and there’s always conversations going on.  You’ll feel like you’ve been transported.  Oh, it also has a jazz bar above it.  All in all, it’s a good evening of entertainment.