Farm Recipe – Elk Shepherd’s Pie
One of the fun things I get to do on my time off here at Dr. King’s Farms is play with recipes using bison and elk. I love the flavor of these meats, and I’m always looking for interesting ways to cook them that doesn’t hide the taste. As the weather cools down, I love eating hot soups, stews, and one-dish type meals that stick to the ribs and warm from the inside. This week I made a truly delicious Shepherd’s Pie (using our ground elk) that everyone raved about. My daughter had three helpings in one sitting! Taking that as an official seal of approval, I wanted to share this recipe with you.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground elk
- 1 red onion, medium-sized, diced
- ½ cup frozen corn (or cut from 1 ear of fresh corn)
- 1 ½ cup peas, frozen
- 8 red potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- Cream
- Butter
- Salt & pepper
- Paprika (optional)
- Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into quarters and boil with the skins on until soft.
- Drain potatoes, return them to the pot and mash, adding cream, butter, salt and pepper until they’re exactly how you like them!
- Stir corn into the potatoes (optional, or add them into the elk mixture later).
- Set mashed potatoes aside, and preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Brown elk in a pan with a little olive oil along with onion, garlic and salt and pepper to taste until onions are translucent and everything smells amazing.
- Add peas (and corn, if desired) to pan and mix well.
- Put browned elk mixture into the bottom of a lightly oiled baking dish and spread evenly.
- Spoon mashed potatoes carefully over the top, smoothing the top with the back of your spoon.
- Sprinkle mashed potato layer generously with shredded cheese, and cover with a lid before putting in the oven. Sprinkle lightly with paprika for garnish if desired.
- Bake at 300 degrees for around 15-20 minutes until cheese begins to melt and the potatoes bubble along the edges of the dish.
- Remove lid from dish and bake another 5 minutes to lightly brown the cheese on top. Then remove from oven and let rest another 5 minutes (that’s the hard part!) before serving.
Enjoy with a crusty bread and butter to help mop up the hearty juices…
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This was a big winner at my house, and using elk instead of beef added an entirely new and fantastic dimension of flavor to a tried-and-true dish. You could also substitute bison in place of the ground elk and it would be just as great.
I hope recipes like this will help you on your journey of exploring the world of flavorful and healthy wild meats. Happy cooking!
