Posted by Lisa
Beef Heart and Lentil Shepherd's Pie with Butternut Squash Topping
Pot pie, shepherd’s pies, casseroles…they are all comfort foods. These rainy and gray days of winter, where fresh produce is less abundant, but pantry and freezer shelves are not yet bare, is the perfect time to prepare comfort food using pantry or freezer staples.
The topping is a slightly sweet mixture of a small butternut squash and a few Yukon gold potatoes and the filling is a hearty mixture of vegetables, beef heart and lentils. Four out of five in my family thought this was really delicious. (It’s incredibly hard to get a 5 for 5.)
Beef heart is a not a commonly eaten meat, in my experience and you could certainly substitute ground beef in its place, but beef heart is very tasty, low in fat and high in protein, vitamin B12 and relatively high in iron. When we purchase a side of meat from our farmer, we typically get several beef hearts because few people want to take them. I frequently use 1/4 of a heart at a time and grind it up and add it to a ground beef dish, but this time I used 1/2 a heart along with lentils, which have a nice meaty feel.
Beef Heart and Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Butternut Squash Topping
for the topping
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
- 3 large potatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes (I used Yukon golds)
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
for the filling
- 2 tablespoons cooking fat of your choice
- 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
- 1/2 beef heart, ground or minced (you could substitute 3/4 lb ground beef)
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups stock (beef or vegetable)
- 1/2 cup lentils
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Place potatoes and butternut squash into a pot and cover with water. Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of salt in the water and bring to a simmer. Simmer until they are tender. While these are cooking, start on filling.
Preheat oven to 375°.
In a heavy bottomed pan or Dutch oven, heat fat over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add beef heart and cook until heart is browned. Add carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, thyme and flour cook for a minute or two stirring constantly. Add stock and lentils. Bring to a simmer. Simmer on low heat until lentils and vegetables are tender. Add frozen peas and stir. The sauce should be saucy, but not too runny; if it’s too dry, add more stock 1/4 cup at a time. When lentils and vegetables are tender and the sauce is the consistency that you like, remove from heat.
When potatoes and butternut squash are tender, drain and return to pot. Mash with butter, salt and pepper to taste and cream. Set aside.
Pour the beef heart and lentil mixture into a 13″ x 9″ pan. Spread mashed potato and butternut squash mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top, if you are using. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is starting to turn golden and filling is bubbly. Serve warm.
