Bison Cottage Pie

Fit for Company, Family Meal, Rewarms Well, Grass-Fed Beef

SERVES: 6

A truly great cottage pie, made with long-braised diced meats in a rich sauce with lots of root vegetables and a light, fluffy, and cheesy potato crust, is a dish worthy of a place on any table. I prefer to use bison because of its rich flavor. It’s tougher than beef, but with lots of collagen that softens to tenderness and adds body to the gravy. If you can’t find bison, substitute grass-fed beef chuck or boneless short ribs.

INGREDIENTS:

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2½ pounds boneless bison chuck roast, boneless short ribs, or brisket, cut into ¾-inch cubes
• ⅓ pound thick-sliced bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch-wide pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed
• 1 cup chopped onions
• ½ cup chopped peeled carrots
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 cups full-bodied dry red wine, such as Syrah or Zinfandel
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 2½ cups homemade beef stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 10 ounces pearl onions, not peeled
• 1½ cups 1-inch pieces peeled parsnips
• 1 cup trimmed baby turnips

MASHED POTATO CRUST

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
• ¾ cup whole milk
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Combine the flour, paprika, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large shallow bowl. Add the bison and toss to coat all over. Set aside.
2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until nicely browned and just crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the fat in the pot.
3.  Turn up the heat to medium-high, add the oil, and sear the bison until nicely brown all over, about 10 minutes; remove and set aside. (You may have to do this in batches, adding more oil as needed.) Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Pour in the red wine, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil. Add the bison, bacon, tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and sage. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2 hours, or until the bison is tender.
4.  While the bison is cooking, blanch the pearl onions in a 2-quart saucepan half filled with boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain, trim off any root ends, and slip off the skins.
5.  When the bison is done, add the parsnips and turnips and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until softened. Discard the bay leaves. Add the pearl onions and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool (or, better still, refrigerate the bison filling overnight).
6.  Preheat the oven to 400°F.
7.  Crust: Boil the potatoes in salted water to cover by at least 1 inch for 18 to 20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain.
8.  Heat the butter, milk, and cream in a saucepan to almost a boil. Push the potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl and whisk in the heated milk mixture, salt, and pepper. Continue to whisk to cool the mashed potatoes a bit, but don’t overmix. Lightly beat 1 of the eggs and whisk in.  Skim the fat from the bison filling and spoon the filling into a 13-×-9-inch baking dish. Cover with the mashed potatoes and use a fork to create a streaked pattern on the top. Beat together the remaining egg and water, then brush the potatoes with the mixture. Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is warmed through (it should be 125°F when tested with an instant-read thermometer). Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS

•  Grass-fed or conventional beef chuck roast, boneless short ribs, brisket, or boneless shank; cooking time will be about 30 minutes less.

COOK’S NOTES

• You can assemble the pie ahead, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Add 20 minutes to the baking time.
• This deceptively humble dish is ideal for company and warrants a fine wine to go with it. My preference would be a Hermitage from Jean-Louis Chave or a Côtes du Rhône or California Syrah from Radio-Coteau.