The Black Labrador is an English style pub located in Houston, Texas. I have been told that it is much like a true English pub, except the food is really good here. This recipe was submitted by a fellow viewer, this recipe was posted years ago in the Houston Post.
Black Labrador Shepherds Pie
Black Labrador Shepherds Pie
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chuck
- 2/3 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 pounds butter
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled
- 2 cups carrots sliced
- 2 ounces beef base about 2 1/2 tablespoons
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Saute beef, onion, celery, and garlic in a large pan in butter until well done. Strain off fat. Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and mash with butter. Blanch carrots and add to beef mixture. Make a gravy with beef base and water. Whisk in enough flour to thicken, about 2 tablespoons. When gravy comes to a boil, add beef=carrot mixture, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Spoon meat mixture into a 2-quart casserole. Spoon potatoes on top. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with cheese and let sit until cheese melts from the radiated heat. about 5 minutes.
ginger315
This recipe can’t be right with 4 POUNDS of butter!
Marri
The Black Labrador is fabulous in ambiance and taste. When my fiancé as he was then, was working in Houston and I was visiting from Chicago we would go there for a meal. The food was excellent. They made a Black Bean soup that was sheer heaven. We married and moved back to England. I tried to get the recipe from the manager (according to him he was the chef at the time we went there) a number of years ago. Unfortunately, no matter what I did, the recipe he gave me was nothing like what we had there. I keep telling my husband to get another contract in Houston!
Oh, and BTW…the food in England is not as bad as you are led to believe. If you search the old recipes, you will find good, hearty food. I spice the fare up with my American offerings, and it works out just fine!
Stephanie
Hello – love the site. However I was having some issues commenting on a recipe – I figure it’s because it was posted over a year or so ago.
I feel I should tell you, and you probably know already, that true Shepherds Pie is made with ground or “minced” lamb. I traveled to England in the last year and found that the Shepherds Pie my mother made (we’re of Irish descent) was actually Cottage Pie which is made with minced beef/ground chuck as you have posted. I know that many “English style” pubs and “Irish style” pubs in the states don’t differentiate because a lot of the general public wouldn’t know the difference.
Anyway – I just thought you should know, just in case you hadn’t. The person who commented is correct however that English food is not horrible as we Americans are led to believe. Actually it is rather bland but I found that is because they do not oversalt things nor do they use msg generally.
Thank you,
Erin Clark
Stephanie
I am aware of the differences in the definitions. While I don’t feel it is my job to correct recipes written by others. This is the recipe as posted by the Houston Post, a newspaper that is no longer active. You are right, Shepherd’s pie is with lamb, and Cottage pie is with the others. I think you are right most people do not know the difference and we call it Shepherd’s pie. My guess is some marketing person told the restaurant they would sell more if they called it Shepherd’s Pie instead of Cottage Pie. I appreciate your comment!