The 2-Meat Combo That Makes Shepherd's Pie Unforgettable

The more time I spend in the UK, the more I learn to appreciate the variety of savory pies in the traditional cuisine, and a cottage pie or shepherd's pie ranks near the top. Made from humble ingredients like ground meat, mashed potatoes, and a few vegetables, it's among the simplest and most comforting dishes — an easy yet satisfying recipe for a warming one-pot meal. Although they are similar, there is a significant difference between the two: A cottage pie is filled with minced beef, while shepherd's pie is traditionally made from lamb, as its name suggests. When making it at home, however, I sometimes break away from tradition by using a combination of beef and lamb in the recipe. Turns out, using a ratio of 60% beef to 40% lamb is a genius idea for many reasons. 

When using 60% beef mince and just 40% lamb, you mitigate the gamey taste of lamb, which might turn some people off, without sacrificing flavor, adding richness to the otherwise bland beef. Simply swapping some of the meat in your shepherd's pie recipe will yield a tastier dish all around. Availability and price are further arguments for the swap. While most supermarkets in the UK stock ground lamb regularly, that may not be the case in the U.S., and it is possible that the price will be higher than that of its beef counterpart. Therefore, it makes sense economically to use more beef than lamb in the recipe. Make sure to ask your butcher for ground meat with 20% fat for juicier, more flavorful results.

This meaty casserole originated in the British Isles, where recipes for "cottage pie" began appearing in 18th-century cookbooks as a frugal way to repurpose leftover meats and vegetables. The name "shepherd's pie" first appeared in a 1877 English cookbook, which attributed the recipe's origin, unsurprisingly, to Scotland. It appears that this early recipe included the classic mince filling and mashed potato topping, but encased in a wheat flour crust, like a pie. This may explain why shepherd's pie is called a pie, even after the dough crust eventually fell out of favor. Think of it like a pot pie, but with a golden crust of mashed potatoes instead of pastry, and ground meat in a savory gravy instead of a creamy chicken filling.

The beauty of these versatile dishes is that you can swap ingredients easily, or get inventive with different seasonings, fillings, or presentations for a simple upgrade to the traditional recipe that's suitable for a weeknight dinner or weekend gathering with friends and family. For instance, a fish pie, with a creamy filling of fish, shrimp, or a combination of the two, is super easy to make at home yet impressive if you're having company. If you want a vegetarian version, use your favorite plant-based meat substitute. In the UK, some cooks combine their love for a good Indian curry with the ease of preparation of a pie, adding masala spices to the mince and veggie filling for an extra special treat. But if you wish to stick closer to tradition, the beef and lamb combo is definitely the way to go.