Tag Archives: garlic cloves

An easy Bulgogi Beef Skillet recipe from Paleohacks

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If you’re craving takeout, try this easy, one skillet beef bulgogi recipe from our friends at Paleohacks for sweet and spicy flavor with zero soy, MSG, or preservatives!

Bulgogi is a popular Korean recipe that translates literally to “fire meat.” Super thin slices of strip steaks, sirloin steak, or ribeye are marinated in spices until tender, then grilled or pan-fried. The result is a sticky, crispy, and slightly spicy recipe that can be turned into a complete meal with a side of cauliflower rice or stir-fried veggie noodles.

The unique marinade includes ripe, grated Asian pear for sweetness, texture, and tang. The acidity in the pear also helps to tenderize the meat. If you can’t find Asian pears, a traditional pear will work just fine. To add a subtle spice to the marinade, use gochugaru, the bright red Korean red pepper. This powder is less spicy than cayenne and creates a balanced heat that lets the other flavors shine through.

bulgogi-beef

Coconut sugar stands in for brown sugar, adding sweetness and helping to crisp the steak for delicious texture. Finally, toasted sesame oil adds nutty aroma while ginger, garlic, and coconut aminos add even more flavor and dimension.

To make the bulgogi, mix all the ingredients for the marinade together, add to the sliced beef, and refrigerate for at least two hours. Then, grease a medium skillet with avocado oil—not olive oil. Avocado oil has a high smoke heat point that can withstand high cooking temperatures without burning. Cook the steak about two minutes per side, in two batches.

bulgogi-beef

To serve, top the hot steak slices with sesame seeds and scallions, and enjoy!

If you’re craving more takeout recipes but don’t feel like cooking, check out one of these 13 totally Paleo meal delivery options!

Paleohacks’ Korean-style BBQ Bulgogi Beef Skillet

bulgogi-beef

 

Prep time- 10 minutes

Cook time- 10 minutes

Chill time- 4 hours

Total time- 4 hours, 20 minutes

Serves- 4

Tools

Mixing bowl

Skillet

Tongs

Ingredients

bulgogi-beef

For the Marinade

1/3 cup grated Asian pear, peeled

1 T Korean red pepper (or chili powder)

1 T coconut sugar

1 T lime juice

2 T toasted sesame oil

2 T coconut aminos

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 t ground ginger

1/4 t sea salt

For the Steak:

2 10-oz strip steaks, thinly sliced

1 t avocado oil

1/2 t sesame seeds, for serving

1/4 cup chopped green onion, for serving

Directions

1. Combine ingredients for marinade in a mixing bowl and stir well.

2. Add steak slices and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

3. Grease a skillet with avocado oil and heat over medium-high heat for a few minutes. When hot, use tongs to add half of the marinated steak strips and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes.

4. Transfer steak to a bowl and repeat with remaining strips.

5. Serve the beef bulgogi hot garnished with sesame seeds and green onion.

ribeye-steak

The ribeye steak – There is no better grilling steak

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Ribeye steak is one of the most delicious of all the cuts of beef that we — as steak lovers — want to grill and eat every time we spark up the grill.

The reason for our ribeye obsession is that it is so tender and tasty; and, it is mouthwatering-good when grilled with just kosher salt or sea salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning. The reason ribeye steak is a true beef flavor bomb is that it has more marbling — the fatty connective tissue within the muscle — than most other cuts.

Even grass-fed and grass-finished ribeye steaks — which are usually less fatty than corn-fed and grain-fed factory farm beef — has just enough of that good fat marbling to make the steaks savory and full of that great grass-fed beef flavor we love.

And while ribeyes are perfect steaks to cook with an oven — they are great when lightly seasoned and seared on a hot skillet with a bit of olive oil or unsalted butter — we prefer the simple pleasure of a perfectly cooked ribeye from the grill.

“ribeye-steak”

Head ButcherBox Chef Yankel Polak is a huge fan of the ribeye steak. Chef Yankel says, “Cast iron or open fire. Finish it with butter and tons of salt. Even the best ribeye will taste underwhelming if not seasoned properly.”

What gives ribeye steaks such great marbling? They come from the rib primal of a cow, specifically, the longissimus dorsi, which gets very little use, hence the excess fat dispersed throughout the muscle. But in a grass-fed ribeye steak, that fat is a bit healthier than in a grain-fed or corn-fed ribeye.

The fattiness burns up when being cooked adding a juicy moisture to the meat, making it incredibly tender. Once you eat a grilled ribeye, you will definitely notice its smooth, rich texture and delicious beefy flavor. When cooked on an open flame, charred lightly and medium-rare in the middle 

According to Chef Yankel, “Ribeyes have a ton of fat so super high heat is the best way to get the most flavor.” When cooking on an open flame, char a ribeye lightly on each side — a few minutes on each side — and then let it sit for eight to ten minutes before cutting into.  Follow these instructions and you will get a perfect medium-rare steak every time. 

Here, for a little more detail, is Chef Yankel’s recipe for Garlic Crusted Ribeye Steak:

Garlic-Crusted Ribeye Steak

  1. Dry ribeye steaks and bring to room temperature.  

  2. Season steaks generously on both sides with salt and pepper.

  3. Preheat grill. If using an open flame, wait for flames to die down. Right before grilling, make sure grill surface is extremely hot, then rub it down with an oil-soaked rag – we advise using tongs to hold the rolled-up rag.

  4. Rub heads of garlic with olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp fresh black pepper and wrap in aluminum foil.

  5. Bake garlic for about 30 minutes on the cooler side of grill – indirect heat.

  6. Once baked, peel the skin off garlic and place in food processor with ghee. Pulse to make a paste.

  7. For medium-rare, place ribeye steaks at 45° angle across hottest part of grill grates, then grill for 2 – 3 min per side, while rotating 90° every 1 ½ min.

  8. Place steaks on a baking sheet and smear 1 large Tbsp of garlic paste on top of each steak.

  9. Move steak to the cooler part of the grill, then grill for 4 min per side. Keep your meat moving to ensure that it cooks evenly. Remove from grill when a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 120°F.

  10. Let the steaks rest for 8 min before slicing.

“hog-farmer”

grilled-chicken-breast

Grilled chicken breast and chicken thighs: The essential summer recipes

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Grilled chicken breast and chicken thigh: The essential summer recipes

Grilled chicken is the ultimate summer dish. Why heat up the oven or slave over a pot indoors when you can soak up some sunshine while grilling up your dinner?

The key to juicy, tender grilled chicken is the technique. Harnessing the power of indirect heat on the grill is the way to go. Whether it’s a gas or charcoal grill, spend some time building heat in your grill, then grill your chicken over indirect heat. You can use the direct flames and high heat for crisping, browning, and those characteristic grill marks.

The flavor profile possibilities are endless, too. Try Greek-marinated grilled chicken or spicy Italian grilled chicken. Citrus is grilled chicken’s best friend, from smoky citrus grilled chicken to grilled chicken with lemon and thyme.

Whatever marinade or spice-blend you opt for, these chicken recipes will keep you grilling all summer long.

1.      Juicy Grilled Chicken Breast

This juicy grilled chicken breast is all about the technique. Keep it pure and simple (to start, at least) with just a few bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves, some salt, some oil, and a grill. The trick is to harness the power of indirect heat, whether you’re using a gas or charcoal grill. If using a gas grill, turn on all the burners and close the lid. Once the temperature inside the grill reaches 400°F, turn off one of the burners. You’ll be grilling your chicken in the indirect heat left by the now-off burner. For a charcoal grill, light 50 or 60 briquettes for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re covered with ash. Clear them to one side, and place chicken breast halves over the indirect heat. Your chicken will take a quick trip to the direct heat for crisping and browning. Once you’ve mastered this technique, you can get more creative with a marinade or rub. 

2.      Grilled Greek Marinated Chicken Breast with Peach and Endive Salad 

If you’re trying to capture the essence of summer in a meal, this grilled Greek marinated boneless chicken breast with peach and endive salad will do it. Freshness abounds with summer fruits and veggies like peaches, avocado, endive lettuce, and corn. Meanwhile, boneless skinless chicken breasts get marinated in a deliciously zesty Greek vinaigrette and grilled quickly for color, then finished off in the oven. While you’re grilling chicken, you can also grill corn to add a delicious smoky char flavor to the accompanying salad. Toss the salad in Primal Kitchen’s Green Goddess dressing and add some tangy feta, and you’re in heaven. 

3.      Spicy Grilled Italian Chicken 

Heat things up with this Italian flavored, red pepper flake, and chili powder-spiced grilled chicken breast. Barbeque sauce, white wine vinegar, and lemon juice add tang while Italian seasonings like dried basil, dried oregano, and dried parsley add an herbaceous touch. Marinating the chicken in the sauce ensures tender, juicy breasts while basting it while grilling maximizes the spicy Italian flavor. Bonus: It only takes an hour to marinate and 20 minutes to grill up, making for one effortless summer meal.

4.      Aromatic Grilled Chicken Thighs

The ultimate spice blend prevails in this aromatic grilled chicken thighs recipe. With seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, turmeric, chili powder, paprika, and of course salt and black pepper, these skin-on, bone-in, grilled chicken thighs are packed with flavor. The unique custom spice blend is better than anything you can find in a bottle, plus your kitchen will smell as heavenly as a spice shop as you prepare it. The trick to perfectly grilled and crispy, aromatic chicken is to cook it over indirect heat, bone side down for the majority of the time. Only flip it to the spiced-skin side at the end to avoid burning the spices.

“grilled-chicken-breast”

5.      Smoky Citrus Grilled Chicken Thighs

These smoky citrus grilled chicken thighs are extra special because they require a charcoal grill and hickory wood chips to perfect that smoke flavor. This recipe works with any cut of chicken, but boneless skinless chicken thighs ensure ultra-juicy and flavorful dark meat. Herbs like rosemary and thyme and plenty of citrus—including lemon, orange, and lime—really pack in the flavor to complement the smokiness from the hickory wood chips. Once again, indirect heat helps create masterfully charred yet juicy grilled chicken.

6.      Grilled Citrus Chicken Breast with Summer Watermelon Salad

Summer strikes again with these grilled citrus chicken breasts with summer watermelon salad. Boneless skinless chicken breasts get marinated in a mélange of aromatics, including fresh crushed garlic cloves, shallots, fresh thyme, and rosemary, whole lemon and orange and a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. All of the aromatics get pulsed in the food processor to form the perfect marinade. Meanwhile, a refreshing summer salad of grilled corn, red and yellow watermelon, cilantro, feta, and onion accompany the chicken, making for an ideal summer meal.

7.      Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lemon and Thyme

Simple yet bold, these grilled chicken breasts with lemon and thyme are a delicious quick meal, clocking in at 20 minutes total on the grill. Lemon juice and thyme meld with red pepper flakes, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper for an uncomplicated marinade. Bone-in chicken breasts stand up to the heat to ensure succulent flavor and tenderness. If you don’t have dried thyme on hand, don’t worry, any similar dried spice will work. Think marjoram, oregano, rosemary, or sage.

Extra Tips

ButcherBox Head Chef Yankel Polak suggests the best way to grill a juicy chicken breast comes down to two key steps. The first is to pound your boneless chicken breast thin before you grill chicken. You can use a meat mallet or just your rolling pin, but either way, a thinner chicken breast allows for more evenly cooked meat. Second, once you’ve achieved the ideal internal temperature, set aside at room temperature and let the juices distribute throughout the now flavorful grilled chicken breast. 

Do both and you will get the ultimate summer dish, perfectly grilled chicken, every time you use the outdoor grill.

“grilling-for-a-party”

bacon-jam

Bacon is our jam – The history of the most delicious breakfast meat with a special bacon jam recipe

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Check out an amazing bacon jam recipe at the bottom of this post from our Head ButcherBox Chef.

Bacon has been around for a long time. In fact, the earliest recorded examples of the cut date back to 1,500 B.C. The fatty back or belly of pork was popular with the Greeks and Roman, the latter who cooked it with figs and flavored with pepper. 

Breakfast meat history

What we know as bacon today is not precisely what has been traditionally known as bacon or bacoun. In much of Europe, the word bacon was used as a synonym for all pork. The word bacon and its earlier form bacoun were derived from French, German, and Teutonic versions for “back.”

The form of salt-cured and sliced bacon we know in America today is much different from its earlier forms and is known as “streaky” bacon in the United Kingdom. 

Bacon became a common dish in England starting in the 17th century. According to the Oxford Companion of Food, bacon, especially smoked bacon and extra-fatty bacon was a staple for almost everyone except the very poor across the British Isles. In fact, many families would keep their bacon in a prominent place in the home as a point of pride. For centuries, Bacon grease was a common cooking fat, which remained true until the mid-twentieth century when bacon fat was replaced by olive oil, vegetable oil, and other fats not derived from meat.

bacon-jam

Modern bacon

Today, Wiltshire in England remains one of the world’s bacon-producing centers; Wiltshire has been the center of the bacon universe since John Harris set up the first large-scale bacon curing business there in the 1770s.  

The modern, American version of bacon was an innovation of butcher and manufacturing. At the turn twentieth century, the meat industry moved away from salt-curing and smoking bacon, and found it more affordable to sugar-brine pork belly at a large scale. Before 1915, bacon was still sold as a solid hunk of meat — usually four pounds — and people cut bacon into smaller pieces in the home. 

Until the 1960s, bacon maintained its reputation as being a “country” cut of pork, a holdover from its English peasant popularity. As wet-cured, pre-sliced bacon became easier to package, it appeared more readily in stores and — due to its sweet and salty flavor — found its ways to the breakfast plates of many Americans as the perfect companion to fried eggs. 

You can even make homemade bacon jam these days

These days, you can find bacon beyond the morning breakfast table as the cut of pork has spiked in popularity over the past two decades. 

There is dark brown sugar candied bacon, maple bacon, applewood smoked bacon, turkey bacon, and even, shockingly, meatless veggie bacon. 

These days, you can find bacon cheeseburgers almost anywhere someone is making burgers, and it is especially useful — to add some fatty flavor — to lead cuts of beef like filet mignon. Bacon appears everywhere from donuts to ice cream to cocktails — in the form of sweet bacon candy — and can even be made into a form of bacon jam. 

Our Head ButcherBox Chef, Yankel Polak, has devised an ingenious bacon jam recipe that he thinks is best used when added to a cheeseburger. It could also be added to grilled cheese or mixed in with roasted and mashed potatoes, pasta, or scrambled eggs. 

Is your mouth watering yet?

Without further ado, here is Chef Yankel’s famous burger recipe featuring his own unique homemade bacon jam recipe featuring maple syrup, brown sugar, coffee, and Guinness.

Chef Yankel’s “Epic Burger With 15 Ingredient Homemade Bacon Jam”

Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes 

Prep time: 60 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 ButcherBox Burgers or ButcherBox Ground Beef molded into 6oz burger patties

Bacon Jam

  • 1 pack (10 oz) ButcherBox Bacon, roughly chopped
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ tsp cayenne
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ c bourbon
  • 3 Tbsp cold brew coffee
  • 3 Tbsp Guinness
  • 3 Tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ c maple syrup
  • ¼ c ketchup 

Onion Rings

  • 1 red onion, sliced and separated
  • 1 c buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp chipotle powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 c cornstarch
  • 2 c peanut oil 

Truffle Mayo

  • ½ c mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbsp truffle puree (or truffle oil)
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Fixins

  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp ghee
  • 4 thick slices sharp yellow cheddar
  • 4 leaves butter lettuce
  • 4 large tomato slices
  • 4 sesame hamburger buns

 

Directions:

1. Place bacon in a cold Dutch oven on medium heat (starting cold renders the fat better). Cook bacon until crispy, then drain half the bacon fat. Keep the other half in the pan.

2. Add onions to bacon and sauté. Once onions are translucent, add nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, garlic cloves, and brown sugar. Stir until sugar has melted.

3. Add bourbon, coffee, Guinness, sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup. Simmer on medium heat until liquid is reduced by half.

4. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature for 5 min. Place mixture in food processor, add ketchup and pulse to a chunky jammy texture. Refrigerate for up to 30 days or freeze up to 6 months.

5. Soak red onion slices in buttermilk for 30 min.

6. Preheat peanut oil to 350°F.

7. Mix cornstarch, kosher salt, smoked paprika, chipotle powder and garlic powder.

8. Coat onion slices evenly with the spice mix and fry gently for 2 min or until golden brown. Let rest on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

9. Mix mayo, truffle puree and salt and black pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

10. Bring burgers to room temperature and season both sides with salt and pepper.

11. Preheat a large skillet (preferably cast-iron skillet) and add 2 Tbsp ghee. Once the ghee is hot, sear burgers for 3 min on one side. Flip burgers, place cheddar on the burger and sear the other side for three more min or until desired doneness.

12. Spread truffle mayo liberally on both sides of the bun. Place lettuce leaf down first (to protect the bun from burger juices), followed by tomato.

13. Place burger on top of tomato followed by a healthy dollop of bacon jam. Top with onion rings and close that baby up! Be sure to let us know how it went! 

“how-to-cook-burgers”

asian marinade

For your grilling pleasure – Asian marinades and cooking styles to use this summer

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People have been marinating meat for a long time. The word “marinade” is derived from the Latin term for seawater, aqua marina, a language evolution that is connected to the long-used practice of brining meat. Brining involves salt or saltwater and was primarily used to preserve meat so that it would last longer. It is also believed that brining was used to add flavor to poultry, fish and other meats.

While brining has been used in areas close to the sea, like areas bordering the Mediterranean, the process of marination is a global phenomenon. Whether done to add flavor or to tenderize meat, most marinades and meat sauces contain some acidic or enzymatic ingredients such as lemon juice, red wine, vinegar, ginger or fruits.

Southeast Asian marinades are sweet and savory, due to their propensity to include soy, ginger, and fruits. Marinades that come from tropical islands tend to rely heavier on fruits like pineapple and papaya, while marinades in western Asia rely more heavily on curry, a combination of turmeric, fresh ginger, chilis, and cumin.

Marinades and sauces of Asia — heavy on the soy

Soy sauce marinades

Many Asian marinades are sweet and savory, and, at times, spicy. Some of the more popular marinades from Asia are sauces used as condiments or added after cooking. A large number of marinades and sauces that derive from Asia are made from soybeans or their byproducts.

Soy sauce was first made in China and is believed to have first been created almost 2,000 years ago. Soy sauce is also derived from soybeans. It is fermented soybeans with grains, some salt/brine, and even mold cultures like Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae. Although it originated in China, the use of soy sauce spread rapidly across southeast Asia and eventually made its way to Europe.

In Chinese cuisine, there are many different types of soy sauce that can be used in dishes featuring vegetables, pork, chicken, beef or fish. It is one of the most commonly used “spices” in food originating in China. In Japanese culture, soy sauce is prominent in what is known as the teriyaki style of cooking, which involves grilling or broiling glazed foods with the namesake teriyaki sauce that is a combination of soy sauce, sugar, and sake or mirin. Teriyaki-style and the simple marinade used for cooking is great with some chicken breasts (thinned of course), steaks, or pork tenderloin.

For other marinades, soy sauce is combined with sesame oil, sesame seeds, green onions, ginger, and sometimes fish sauce or hot chili sauce.

Soy sauce is not the secret ingredient for Chinese and Japanese cuisines only; its use is widespread across southeast Asia and is even a key ingredient in many traditional Hawaiian dishes.

Beyond China and Japan, soy sauce is used to marinate beef — with brown sugar, garlic, rice wine vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, and freshly ground black pepper — for Korean barbecue. In Indonesia and the Philippines, soy sauce is most commonly mixed with brown sugar and sometimes molasses and used as a marinade.

Soy sauce is used in marinades outside of Asia, as many steakhouses use soy sauce in some of their steak marinades across Europe and America.

Hoisin

Hoisin is a sweet and salty Chinese sauce is most often added as a glaze after cooking. Most commonly made with some combination of vinegar, soybeans, fennel seeds, red chilis, and minced garlic, it is used primarily as a dipping sauce or glaze.  However, hoisin is also used in stir-frys and as a barbecue sauce.

As a marinade, Hoisin sauce is best for pork chops or fried or grilled chicken thighs or tenders. Some chefs experimenting with hoisin have combined it with fresh garlic cloves, chilis, and some sugar for a pre-cooking marinade for steak tips, tougher steaks like skirt steak, and even rib-eye.

Interestingly, the word hoisin is Chinese for “seafood,” yet it contains no fish and is used on other meats like pork, duck, and beef more prevalently than seafood. Fish sauce, which is very salty like soy sauce, is a completely different Chinese condiment.

Indian-inspired flavor

Heading west, you find fewer beef marinades and more sauces used for fish and chicken. One major reason for this is the influence of Hinduism — which prohibits eating cattle — in countries like India. Chicken dishes that derive from India, such as tikka masala and tandoori chicken, rely on marinades that combine a range of different spices with yogurt. Both tikka masala and tandoori are marinated in a yogurt-based sauce that can include ginger, chilis, cayenne, cumin, turmeric, minced garlic, and sometimes coconut and cinnamon.

These foods that rely on what are known as “curry” marinades or sauces are most often used on chicken or fish. However, because of religious beliefs, the eating of meat is forbidden in some circles, and so this popular sauce is also used in vegetable dishes.

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean marinades

In Mediterranean Asia, the shawarma cooking style is one of the most popular ways to cook meat like chicken, beef, turkey, or lamb. The meat for shawarma usually is marinated in spices similar to Indian cuisines; they use a marinade or rub that is some combination of turmeric, cayenne, garlic, cumin, paprika, and olive oil.

Once marinated, the meat is packed onto a spit and then grilled over a long period of time, such as an entire day. This style of cooking eventually gained popularity in Mediterranean Europe; if you’ve ever eaten a Greek gyro or kebab, you’ve had the meat cooked shawarma-style and combined with a yogurt-based sauce and fresh vegetables.

Interestingly, the shawarma method of cooking is also connected to Latin American cuisine. Al pastor — a popular Mexican pork dish used in tacos — is supposed to be cooked on a spit and is prepared in a shawarma-like marinade that often adds pineapple. How did that happen? Lebanese refugees who arrived in Mexico in the twentieth century combined the cuisine of their home with the fruit and spice influences they discovered in Latin America.

Try out an Asian marinade

Now that you have a whole plethora of different flavors to try with your grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and heritage-breed pork this summer., it’s time to make like a true chef and get to mixing these amazing marinades together. Whether you let them marinate for an hour or an entire day, once you pull your Asian-influenced meat off the grill, you’ll thank us.

Check out some of our favorite recipes and cooking methods from ButcherBox Head Chef Yankel Polak for a deeper dive into Asian marinades. 

SeeOurPlans2

Digging into shepherd’s pie: A rich, simple dish with a complex history

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As the days start to get warmer, let’s skip the stew and dig into a dish that’s a lot easier to make. 

The dish itself is not complicated. Popular in the British Isles, it is usually some combination of meat, spices, vegetables, with a mashed potato crust. 

A problem arises, however, when discussing the name of the entree. Shepherd’s pie? Cottage pie? “Pâté chinois?

Here in America, we usually refer to any dish that contains beef, hearty veggies, and is topped with potatoes as “shepherd’s pie.” However, what we know as shepherd’s pie is actually a “cottage pie,” which is popular in Ireland, Scotland, and England. A shepherd’s pie is the same except the featured meat is lamb instead of beef. 

The background for the name differences is quite interesting. Cottage pies have traditionally been more common because they were made from the leftovers of from larger meals. So commonfolk in places like Ireland and England — who predominantly lived in country cottages — would take leftover beef they had, cut it up, and throw it into a pot or dish with whatever veggies they had lying around. 

As our in-house chef, Yankel Polak explains, “There are endless variations since its basically a free-form stew topped with mashed potatoes.”

Because potatoes have been such a prevalent and accessible crop to broader swaths of the population — especially in Ireland — it made more sense to use mashed potatoes as a crust or topping than any grain-based foods. And so, the cottage pie became a staple in Ireland, Britain, Scotland, and, eventually America.

It is a bit odd that a cottage pie — the dish with beef as its meat — would be called shepherd’s pie more commonly here in the U.S. 

If you haven’t made the connection yet, shepherd’s pie gets its name because it features lamb, the livestock tended to by shepherds.

Whatever name it goes by, the savory dish is good just about any time you happen to have ground beef or any leftover meat and vegetables handy. But it is a perfect hearty meal for the winter, especially in the more snow-blanketed, northern sections of the country.

ButcherBox’s Chef Yankel likes to make a beef stew and store mash potatoes in a pastry bag. “When I’m hungry,” he explains, “I heat up the stew in a saute pan, pour it into an oven safe dish, pipe the mash on top with a sprinkle of parmesan and pepper and broil it till golden.” 

For another variation on the cottage pie/shepherd’s pie, check out Chef Yankel’s “Spiced-Up Shepherd’s Pie,” which adds some more complexity with Indian-inspired flavors and a unique potato topping that blends in cauliflower for a lower carb count:

“shepherds-pie"

Spiced-up Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

Meat Filling

- 1 ButcherBox Ground Beef

- 1 c butternut squash, small dice

- 1 c carrots, small dice

- 1 c peas (if frozen do not thaw)

- One can (15½oz) garbanzo beans

- 1 can (14½oz) diced tomatoes

- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice

- 4 garlic cloves, minced

- ½ tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp muchi-curry powder

- 1 tsp garam masala

- 1 Tbsp tomato paste

- 2 tsp kosher salt

- 1/3 c beef stock

Cauliflower Topping

- 1 cauliflower

- 2 russet potatoes

- ½ tsp muchi-curry powder

- ½ tsp ground black pepper

- 1 tsp kosher salt

- 1 tsp ghee

Preparation:

30 minutes cooking time:

Serves: 4-6

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Rinse potatoes, poke them twice with a fork and place on baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 1 hr or until fork-tender. Peel the skin off once you are able to handle them.

3. Cut up cauliflower and place in a steaming basket. Steam for 10 min, or until very soft.

4. Place cooked cauliflower, peeled potatoes, and remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

5. With a hand mixer, mix until smooth.

6. Set aside.

Meat Filling

7. Preheat sauté pan. Crumble ground beef into the hot pan, and sauté until slightly pink, then drain liquid.

8. Return the meat back to pan and add garlic, onion, butternut squash, carrots, and spices. Sauté until onions are translucent.

9. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef broth mix, and cook for 3 min.

10. Add garbanzo beans and peas. Mix everything together and pour meat filling into a casserole dish.

11. Spread the mashed cauliflower and potato mixture evenly on top of meat.

12. Bake for 30 min. Remove from oven and enjoy!