Hunters Pie



In honor of the Great St. Patrick's Day, I raise my glass of stout to you, and cheers for the feasts and festivities that this day brings!

I love holidays. Any of them. Especially ones like St. Patrick's Day that are observed globally, even though it is a traditional Irish holiday. There is something about it that reminds us that we are all part of the same human race. We all get together, regardless of background, and celebrate whatever the occasion may be.

They are also a great time to show your appreciation for others. Whether you pick up some green-iced cupcakes from the supermarket to share with co-workers, cook a corned beef brisket for your family, pick up a 6 pack of Guinness for your buddies, or just simple and say "Thanks! Happy St. Patty's Day!" to the stranger who held the door for you, doing things without expectation of return will reward you ten fold in the future.

I made a primal-style Irish Soda Bread for my CrossFit Gym's St. Patrick's Day party tonight; did you do something similar?

The recipe today is a variation of "Cottage Pie", a traditional recipe from across the Atlantic. Cottage Pie (beef) and Shepherd's Pie (mutton or lamb) originated in Britain pre-1800's, but is common in Irish cuisine as well. This recipe is an adapted version of the Shepherd's Pie from Mark's Daily Apple. I used venison instead of hamburg and thought it would be appropriate to name it Hunter's Pie. :)

Hunter's Pie

The Food
- 1lb ground venison

- 1-2 cup carrots

- 1-2 cup celery

- 1 onion, chopped

- 3/4 cup broth
- 1 tbs coconut flour

- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp Rosemary
- 1 tsp Thyme
- Salt
- Pepper

- 3/4-1 head cauliflower (depends on size of baking dish)

- 4 tbs butter, divided

The Prep
Preheat oven to 400°
Chop carrots and celery into chunks, cubes, slices... whatever floats your boat until you have about 3 cups of vegetables

The Method
Cauliflower topping:
Break cauliflower into florets and lightly steam
In a food processor, process cauliflower with 2 tbs butter (cut it into chunks for better processing)
Salt and pepper the mix to taste

Meat filling:
Heat oil in some sort of large cooking vessel (big skillet, stock pot, cast iron pot...) over medium, medium-high heat and saute onion until soft
Add meat and cook, breaking up chunks until all meat is brown
Add chopped vegetables and cook until just tender
Add coconut flour, broth, and herbs
Stir everything to distribute evenly
Salt and pepper, if desired
Turn heat down and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until most liquid is gone
Transfer meat mix to a lightly buttered dish (casserole dish, pie dish, anything where the cauliflower topping will come to the rim)
Spread cauliflower topping over meat mix
Cut up remaining two tablespoons of butter and spread evenly around top
Bake, uncovered, for about 30-40 minutes (cauliflower will start to brown nicely)

Enjoy :)