Based on a November 2012 recipe from Cook's Illustrated. Prepared for dinner on October 28, 2012.
- The original Cook's Illustrated recipe has 4 steps of instructions. My recipe has 34. It's basically the same procedure but I prefer each step to provide instructions to do just one thing. I also move some instructions from the Ingredients list to the Instructions list. For example, instead of specifying a chopped onion in the list of Ingredients I'll just specify an onion then, at the appropriate point, have an instruction to peel and chop it.
Ingredients
1½ pounds 93% lean ground beef
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons water
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon baking soda
2½ pounds russet potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup milk
1 large egg yolk
8 scallions
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion
4 ounces white mushrooms
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons Madeira or ruby port
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1¼ cups beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 carrots
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons water
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon baking soda
2½ pounds russet potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup milk
1 large egg yolk
8 scallions
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion
4 ounces white mushrooms
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons Madeira or ruby port
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1¼ cups beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 carrots
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use your hands to thoroughly mix the ground beef, 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and baking soda then set the beef mixture aside for 20 minutes.
- Peel potatoes, cut them into 1-inch pieces, and place in a sauce pan with water to cover and 1 tablespoon table salt.
- Bring the potatoes to a boil then simmer over medium-low heat until they are soft enough so the tip of a paring knife meets no resistance when inserted into a potato, about 8 minutes.
- Melt the butter.
- Thinly slice the green part of the scallions, discarding the white part.
- Whisk together the egg yolk and milk in a small bowl.
- Drain the potatoes then return the sauce pan to the stove over low heat to remove any surface moisture from the potatoes.
- Mash or rice the potatoes.
- Stir the melted butter into the potatoes.
- Stir the the milk/egg yolk mixture into the potatoes.
- Stir the sliced scallion greens into the potatoes, season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and set aside.
- Peel and chop the onion.
- Trim and chop the mushrooms.
- Peel and press (or mince) the garlic.
- Peel and chop the carrots.
- In a broiler-safe 10-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add mushrooms, onion, ½ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and brown bits form on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the tomato paste and garlic, stir and cook for about 2 minutes until the bottom of the pan is dark brown.
- De-glaze the pan with the Madeira or port, scraping the bottom to loosen all of the brown bits, about 1 minute.
- Add the flour, stir and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf, and carrots; bring to a boil scraping up any brown bits.
- Reduce the heat, add the ground beef in 2-inch chunks, and adjust heat to simmer gently.
- Cover and simmer for 5 minutes
- Using two forks, break up the chunks of ground beef.
- Cover and simmer until the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 2 teaspoons of water.
- Stir the cornstarch mixture into the filling and continue to simmer for 30 seconds.
- Remove skillet from the heat, remove the thyme stems and bay leaf, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Heat the broiler with a rack set five inches from the broiler element.
- Put the mashed potatoes in a zipper-lock bag and cut off a corner of the bag to create a 1-inch opening.
- Pipe the potatoes evenly over the filling in the skillet then smooth them with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula.
- Use the tines of a fork to make ridges in the potato topping.
- Place the skillet on a rimmed baking sheet then broil until the potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 10-15 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes then serve.
Mix together ground beef, water, salt, pepper, baking soda. |
Make mashed potatoes, adding sliced scallion greens, butter, milk, egg yolk, salt, and pepper. |
Cook onions and mushrooms in oil with salt and pepper, then add garlic and tomato paste and cook. |
Deglaze with wine, add broth, flour, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaf, and carrot. |
Bring to a boil then simmer. |
Add ground beef mixture in two-inch chunks, simmer 5 minutes, break up the beef, and simmer another 5 minutes until the beef is cooked through. |
Cover with mashed potatoes and use the tines of a fork to make ridges in the potatoes. |
Broil until the potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. |
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