This classic French dish is prepared in simplicity and balance. Making the Béarnaise sauce from scratch is the key to this great meal. While this dish is commonly made with pommes frites, I opted for garlic mashed potatoes which, while starchy, is a bit less fatty. This is the sort of dish where each part brings balance to the dish, from the haricot verts to the popovers.

Steak Béarnaise

3 lbs. – Tri-tip steak strips

1/4 cup – White-wine vinegar

1/4 cup – White wine

4 Tbsp. – Fresh tarragon, minced

1 – Shallot, minced

1 tsp. – White peppercorns

4 – Large egg yolks

1 cup – Unsalted butter, melted

Salt and Pepper

Olive oil

1 lb. – Haricot verts (green beans)

1 batch – Garlic mashed potatoes (see below)

1 batch – Popovers (see below)

 

Rub the steaks generously with kosher salt and pepper. Let sit uncovered in the refrigerator for several hours.

To make the béarnaise sauce, add the vinegar, wine, 2 Tbsp. tarragon, shallot, and peppercorns in a small pot. Bring to a simmer on medium heat until the liquid is reduced by half. Let cool and strain, reserving liquid. Add the liquid, remaining tarragon, and egg yolks to a small metal bowl in a double boiler on a low simmer. Whisk continually. Once begins to warm (after 2-3 minutes) and get very frothy, add the melted butter in a steady stream while whisking. Continue to heat slowly and whisk until the sauce emulsifies (thickens) and is smooth. Add salt (up to 1 Tbsp.) to taste. The sauce should be slightly tart and salty. It can remain on a warmer for up to one hour.

Heat your BBQ or oven to 400 degrees. Heat a cast iron pan (mine has grill lines) on high heat until smoking. Add a splash of olive oil and the steaks, pressing them down onto the pan tightly so that a crust will form. Turn after 3-5 minutes by 45 degrees (to make a nice grill line) and let fry for 3 more minutes. Flip and do the same on the other side.

Place the skillet with the steaks into the oven (or BBQ) and bake for 5-10 minutes or until the center registers at 135-140 degrees. Remove from heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Steam the haricot verts until just softened but still a little firm. Toss in a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

To serve, slice the steaks on the diagonal into thin 1/4 inch strips. Drizzle with Béarnaise sauce and serve with mashers, verts, and popovers.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

3 lbs – Russet potatoes

1/4 cup – Heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup – Butter

2 cloves – Fresh garlic, minced

Bunch – Chives, minced

Salt and Pepper

 

Peel and dice the potatoes. Place them in ice water for 30 minutes. Pour off the water, replace with cold water in a large pot and simmer until soft. Strain and place in a large bowl. Add cream, butter, and garlic. Mash with a potato masher until smooth but not whipped. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with minced chives.

Popovers (makes 6)

1 cup – Whole milk, room temperature

2 Tbsp. – Butter, melted

3 – Eggs, room temperature

1 cup – All-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. – Kosher salt

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add a six cup popover pan to the oven during the preheat cycle. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend on low speed until well incorporated. Remove the pre-heated popover pan from the oven and generously coat in additional melted butter or cooking spray. Pour batter into each cup, dividing equally. It should come up to about the middle of each cup. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly.

This is a tasty, comfort-food style dish that is simple to make and is very much an Americana style recipe. It is not an authentic English style shepherd’s pie, but rather the style that I ate while growing up in a small town in the Rockies. I don’t make it often but every once in a while on a cold wintery day, I crave simple comfort foods like the ones that I grew up with. When I made this batch, my kids didn’t even remember me having made it before (I guess it had been a while) but ate every bite and asked for more. It’s a simple food that sticks to your ribs and can be made with ingredients that you likely already have in your house. Next time maybe I’ll make an authentic styled English shepherd’s pie with mutton (and no tomatoes, of course) but for now, try a slice of America!

Shepherd’s Pie

Note: I made a pretty large batch here (hey, I told you this is American style!) so feel free to halve it for a smaller family.

1 Tbsp. – Olive oil

8 oz. – Pork sausage

1 lb. – Ground Beef

1 – Large Onion, chopped

5-6 cloves – Garlic, minced

1 cup – Red wine

2 Tbsp. – Basil (fresh or dried), minced

2 Tbsp. – Oregano (fresh or dried), minced

2 tsp. – Paprika

1 Tbsp. – Sugar

1 28oz. can – Crushed tomatoes

1 15oz. can – Tomato sauce

1 6oz. can – Tomato paste

15 oz. – Corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)

15 oz. – Peas and Carrots (frozen)

2 lb. – Potatoes

4 Tbsp. – Butter

1/3 cup – Heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup – Whole milk

1 cup – Cheddar (I used a mix of aged and medium) shredded

Salt and Pepper

 

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and add oil. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the sausage and ground beef, fry until well browned, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stir well, and continue to sauté until the onions become clear. Add the basil, oregano, and paprika, along with a Tbsp. or two of salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to high and add the wine, simmer until the wine has cooked down and all but evaporated.

Add the tomatoes, sauce, paste, and sugar. Lower the heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer on low heat for ten minutes or until slightly thickened. Check the taste for salt and pepper and add more as needed. Add the corn, peas, and carrots. Stir well and let rest. Spread into a large casserole dish.

Peel and dice the potatoes. Add to a large pot and cover with cold water, boil until soft. Remove the water and mash. Add the butter, cream, and milk. Whip with an immersion blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. They should be smooth, light mashed potatoes (but not watery). Let cool then spread on top of the cooled sauce in the casserole.

Top with the shredded cheese. At this point the pie can easily be stored (even frozen) until needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about an hour or until the sauce starts to bubble up on the sides. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly (or it will burn every taste bud off of your tongue!).