Old Timber Outdoors
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Ground elk

Elk Shepherd's Pie

Ground elk simmered with onion, carrot, peas and thyme under a crust of buttery mashed Yukon Golds.

Serves
6
Hands-on
50 min
Total
1 hr 30 min
Skill
Easy

Stove and oven · Dinner

Ingredients

  • 2 lbGround elk
  • 2½ lbYukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 4 tbspButter
  • ¾ cupMilk, warm
  • 1Onions, diced
  • 2Carrots, diced
  • 3 clovesGarlic, minced
  • 2 tbspFlour
  • 1 cupSharp cheddar, shredded (optional)
  • 3 tspSalt, kosher, divided
  • ½ tspBlack pepper, ground
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil, divided
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1¼ cups beef or game stock
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 cup frozen peas

You'll need

Stovetop, Oven, Dutch oven, Instant-read thermometer.

Contains

Dairy, Gluten, Fish. Most Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies.

Method

  1. Cover the potatoes with cold water, add 1 tsp of the salt, and boil until a knife slides in easily, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, return them to the hot pot for 1 minute to steam dry, then mash with the butter, the warm milk and ½ tsp of the salt.
  2. Heat the oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add half the ground elk, press it flat, and leave it 3 to 4 minutes until the underside is deep brown, then break it up and cook 1 minute more. Scoop it out and repeat with the remaining oil and elk.
  3. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and carrot and cook until the onion softens, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
  4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it darkens, about 2 minutes, then stir in the flour for 1 minute. Return the elk and add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, the remaining 1½ tsp salt and the pepper, scraping up the browned bits.
  5. Simmer until the filling is thick enough that a spoon dragged through leaves a trail and an instant-read thermometer reads at least 160°F in the center, about 10 minutes. Stir in the peas and taste for salt.
  6. Spread the mashed potatoes over the filling, rough up the top with a fork so the ridges brown, and scatter on the cheddar, if using.
  7. Bake until the edges bubble and the top browns, 20 to 25 minutes. Rest 10 minutes before serving so the filling sets.

When it's done: 160°F

Ground meat and venison are both 160°F on the federal chart. Check the center of the mixture.

If it goes wrong

Filling runny
Simmer it uncovered a few minutes longer before adding the potatoes.
Filling gray and bland
The elk steamed. Brown it in batches without stirring at first, and let the tomato paste darken.
Potatoes sinking into the filling
Let the filling thicken fully, and drop the potatoes on in spoonfuls before spreading them.
Top pale
Run it under the broiler for 2 minutes at the end, watching closely.

Leftovers. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F.