Recipe: Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie With Lamb & Bison
Shepherd’s pie is a classic English dish that has all of the meaty, starchy goodness that you can expect from a good British meal. It’s comfort food at its finest and couldn’t be more appropriate for a cold, rainy or snowy winter day. The English really know how to do cold weather food right. This updated version uses a combination of traditional lamb and American bison meat. I really love the flavor of combining these two meats, but any combination of our ground selections would be delicious. Usually shepherd’s pie uses regular russet potatoes, but sweet potatoes give a touch of sweet flavor that blends perfectly with the bison meat. Not to mention, the color turns out beautifully. Fresh rosemary really completes this recipe, so be sure not to leave it out if possible.
Also Read: Traditional English Shepherd’s Pie Recipe With Ground Lamb
Free Range Bison, Raised The Way Nature Intended
Our bison live free range on 20,000 beautiful acres here in New Mexico, or roam freely on our carefully selected partner ranches. They are pasture raised and never administered any amount of hormones, steroids or antibiotics. These are powerful, strong animals that live essentially wild with minimal handling. There were once 60 million bison roaming North America, and we hope to see their numbers increase back to even 1 million during our lifetime. By increasing the demand for ethically sourced bison meat, we can help to bolster their population. The more people that want to purchase bison meat, the more farmers will be encouraged to raise bison. This directly helps to increase the number of herds which assists in providing genetic diversity for the population.
The Best Tasting & Most Ethically Sourced Lamb
Our lamb is raised on the North Island of New Zealand, in the incredibly beautiful foothills of Mount Ruapehu. The lambs are born and live their lives freely roaming the lush green landscape. These animals are raised by the Maori people native to New Zealand, and have been bred for generations for extraordinary taste and quality. They graze on verdant green grass rich with nutrients and are never given any type of antibiotics or growth hormones.
Also Read: Polish Comfort Food: Pierogi Made With Ground Bison
Why We Choose Lamb Raised In New Zealand
Lambs in New Zealand graze on some of the world’s most lush and nutrient rich pastures. The country enjoys a unique, subtropical climate that encourages animals and plants alike to flourish. New Zealand has some of the best conditions in the world for raising lamb, which might explain why their population outnumbers humans. Cultural traditions in New Zealand make it the industry standard to raise meat humanely and naturally. New Zealand lamb is grass fed throughout its life, unlike American lamb which is often grain finished to encourage larger size and higher body fat percentage. New Zealand lambs are smaller in size, because they were allowed to grow and develop the way nature intended.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 pound ground bison
- 3.5 pounds sweet potatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon bison tallow
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 8 oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables
- 15 oz can of tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 teaspoons sea salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Also Read: Delicious Lebanese Hashweh With Lamb And Toasted Pine Nuts
Instructions:
- Let the thawed ground meat sit out at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes before cooking.
- Boil the diced sweet potatoes in salted water until softened.
- Meanwhile, heat the tablespoon of bison tallow in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook until tender, browned and fragrant.
- Add the ground meat to the pan with the onion. Season with two teaspoons of sea salt and all of the garlic powder. Combine, breaking the meat up into small pieces. Cook for approximately 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the can of tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and the bag of frozen vegetables to the skillet. Turn down the heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes.
- When the sweet potatoes are finished cooking, thoroughly drain all of the water from the pot. Add the milk and butter. Season to taste with the remaining sea salt. Blend to your desired consistency for mashed potatoes.
- Assemble the shepherd’s pie in a baking dish. Add the meat mixture in first, followed by the potatoes over top. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on last. Broil the pie for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and golden. Serve and enjoy immediately.
Also Read: How To Make Homemade Machaca, Flavorful Shredded Meat
Our Team Is Here To Make Your Experience Great
At Beck & Bulow, we pride ourselves on our excellent customer service. We’re always here to help if you have any questions regarding your meat, want help making selections, or are just looking for some cooking tips. Every time you call our office, you’ll be directly connected with one of our team members right here in Santa Fe, New Mexico where we’re based.
Every cut of meat is pressure sealed and flash frozen immediately after butchering at the peak of freshness. We work exclusively with master butchers who make every cut with care and precision. All orders are hand packed at our Santa Fe warehouse, shipped in a reusable cooler with dry ice and delivered straight to your doorstep. Check out our selections of humanely raised chicken, elk, bison, beef, lamb, wild boar, pork and seafood.
