Traditional British Meat Pie

For 3 € 3.2 /pers. 203 kcal/100g

Traditional British meat pie .

Without getting into controversies about whether the United Kingdom eats well or badly, whether its cuisine is a joke, whether or not they have traditional dishes, etc., we must give certain recipes the value they deserve and leave the stigmas aside. . One of those recipes is, as you can imagine, the traditional British meat pie or what they call “ meat pie ” in those lands.

When the meat used for its preparation is beef , then this meat pie is called cottage pie , but when lamb meat is used it is called shepherd’s pie or shepherd’s pie . It is delicious with any of the meats, but it is easier for us to find minced beef than lamb, and this is the meat we have used to make it.

Traditional British mince pie is a great single dish and one of the most comforting meals we can make. With quality ingredients, little effort and some care we get a great dish that consists of a meat stew with vegetables (among which you can use peas, celery, leek, etc.) and mashed potatoes. This dish is that simple, but complete.

The meat and vegetable stew is placed on the base of an oven-safe container and covered with a good layer of homemade mashed potatoes. We have enriched it with a lot of Cheddar cheese , but you can also add butter, liquid cream and make it even creamier.

It didn’t seem to us that it was needed, but everyone can prepare it to their liking. The important thing is that you prepare it and share it with your loved ones. Here we go with the recipe.

Preparation of traditional British meat pie

1. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and sauté the minced beef. We stir so that it does not become caked and browns evenly on all sides.
2. We peel the garlic clove and add it. We stir and sauté for a couple of minutes.
3. Next we peel the carrots and onion, grate them and add them to the pan. We stir until integrated. Let it cook for a couple of minutes before adding the tomato concentrate, dried thyme and salt and pepper.
4. Stir again, cover and let the whole thing cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes. We want the meat to be tender, stewed, so let it cook gently and add a little water in case the mixture begins to dry out and stick to the bottom of the pan.

Preparation of mashed potatoes

1. Meanwhile we prepare the mashed potato . To do this, we peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces of a similar size (this way they all cook at the same time).
2. Heat a saucepan with plenty of water and, when it starts to boil, add the potatoes. We cook until we notice that they are tender when pierced with a skewer. This will depend on the size of our pieces.
3. We drain, reserving a little of the cooking water in case we need to hydrate the puree a little, and we mash or pass through a puree mill. Add the Cheddar cheese, previously grated, and mix well. The cheese will melt with the heat and the mixture will be creamy.
4. We test the flavor point and, if we consider it necessary, we add salt and pepper. We also test the texture and add a little of the cooking water that we have reserved in case we want a creamier consistency (although we do not consider it necessary).

Cake assembly. Baking and final presentation

1. We preheat the oven to 200º C.
2. When the meat mixture is ready, transfer it to a baking mold and spread it well over the entire surface. Cover with mashed potatoes, sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese.
3. We bake at 200º C on the middle tray of the oven, with heat up and down (with hot air if your oven has it) and let it cook between 15 and 20 minutes or until the surface is golden brown. We serve immediately, very hot. Perfect for a single dish.

If you are still not clear, I leave you a step by step photo of this recipe for traditional British meat pie . Don’t miss any detail and it will turn out perfect.

Tips and recommendations for a delicious traditional British mince pie

• British meatloaf can be enriched by adding more vegetables to the stew. We have only added carrots and onions, which are the basics, but peas, chopped green beans, diced zucchini and other vegetables are fantastic. It is a grateful recipe that allows many variations.
• It is important that the stew layer is creamy, which is why we recommend adding a little water in case it dries out during cooking. You can also add meat broth instead. It will give you more flavor.
• The British love Worcestershire sauce and so do we. One more addition that will give the stew a delicious flavor.
• For mashed potatoes, it is advisable to use some kind that does not absorb too much water or, failing that, dry the mashed potatoes in the oven before adding the grated cheese so that it dries. We can also steam them. To taste.