This dish would seem to be free of controversy, absent of pretensions, but that isn't the case. What constitutes "traditional" Shepherd's Pie? That is the question at the heart of the disagreements. Some people claim that it must be made from lamb, and that if it is made from beef, then it must be called Cottage Pie. Other people add that it must only contain certain vegetables. Are these claims accurate? Do they represent a lengthy historical tradition? If not, what actually is "traditional" Shepherd's Pie?
We probably should first address the meaning of "traditional." This isn't a precise term, and generally refers to something that has existed for a significant length of time, over the course of a number of generations. For example, we might state that a recipe that has remained largely unchanged for a hundred years or so is a traditional recipe. Other people might believe that a recipe which has only been around for twenty-five years has become traditional, though we might also view that as more a modern tradition.
So, how should we view the "traditional" Shepherd's Pie recipe? Should we focus on recipes that have existed for 100+ years, or look for something more modern, which has been around for only a fraction of that time period? Let's take an extended historical look at Shepherd's Pie and later analyze the answers to these questions.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the first known use of the term "cottage pie" was in 1791. At the time, it referred to a meat and mashed potato pie, and it could be of any type of meat, such as beef or lamb. That same dictionary noted that the first known use of the term "shepherd's pie" was in 1854, though that isn't actually correct. From my own research, I found a source referencing "shepherd's pie" that was five years older, from 1849.
The Practice of Cookery and Pastry, Adapted to the Business of Every Day Life by Mrs. Williamson (Edinburgh, 1849) was a book of Scottish recipes, and the author was a culinary instructor, hoping to "give the most useful, plain, and economical dishes by means of easy and distinct directions, ..." There was a chapter on savory Pies, including items such as Pigeon Pie, Mutton Pie, Rabbit Pie, Partridge Pie, Venison Pie and Sheep's Head Pie. There wasn't a recipe or mention of Cottage Pie but there was a recipe for Shepherd's Pie, which could be the first such known printed recipe for such.
The recipe stated, “Shepherd’s Pie. Take cold dressed meat of any kind, roast or boiled. Slice it, break the bones, and put them on with a little boiling water, and a little salt. Boil them until you have extracted all the strength from them, and reduced it to very little, and strain it. Season the sliced meat with pepper and salt, lay it in a baking dish, and pour in the sauce you strained. Add a little mushroom ketchup. Have some potatoes boiled and nicely mashed, cover the dish with the potatoes, smooth it on the top with a knife, notch it round the edge and mark it on the top, the same as paste. Bake it in an oven, or before the fire, until the potatoes are a nice brown.”
This is a fascinating recipe in a number of regards. First, it tends to give some credence to those who believe Scotland originally coined the term, "Shepherd's pie." Second, it indicates that you can use any type of meat, and not just mutton or lamb. Third, there are no vegetables in this recipe, just a bit of mushroom ketchup. Fourth, the meat is placed at the bottom of the pan and then topped with mashed potatoes. For approximately the next 125+ years, most recipes for Shepherd's Pie would follow these basics, using any type of meat, mashed potatoes and no vegetables. This then is a strong candidate for a "traditional" Shepherd's Pie, a basic recipe that has lasted for 125+ years.
One of the first newspapers references to Shepherd's Pie was the Daily Telegraph & Courier (England), December 1, 1870, which discussed a dinner for a festival of the Scottish Corporation. "The dinner embraced the usual Scottish delicacies, such as cock-a-leekie, haggis, sheep's head and trotters, collops, shepherd's pie, and black puddings.." There was another brief reference in The Freeman’s Journal (Dublin, Ireland), December 4, 1872, “We learn that there was a strong flavour of national dishes in the menu, which included cockie leekie, Scotch broth, haggis, sheep’s head, shepherd’s pie, and white and black puddings—all excellent things in themselves,…” Neither newspaper provided any details of the ingredients for the shepherd's pie, however they help to confirm the Scottish origin of Shepherd's pie.
During the 1870s, several books provided recipes and additional information for Shepherd's Pie. The Scholars' Handbook of Household Management and Cookery, by W.B. Tegetmeier (London, 1876), printed this recipe, “Shepherd’s Pie.—Cut up any scraps of cold meat, season to taste, sprinkle over a few fine herbs, out them in a pie-dish, pour over a little water. Mash some potatoes with half a gill of hot milk, in which half an ounce of butter is melted. Cover your pie with them, and bake half an hour.” Once again, we see that any type of meat could be used, and that potatoes were the only other significant ingredient. There were no vegetables.
The Kettners Book of the Table: A Manual of Cookery (London, 1877) provided information on Irish stew, made with mutton and potatoes, and then stated, “In Scotland they produce exactly such a stew, cover it over with a crust, and call it Shepherd's pie." The book also noted, "In Devonshire and Cornwall they make this pie, put apples into it instead of potatoes, and announce it as Devonshire, Cornish, or Squab pie." Note that this passage didn't state that Shepherd's Pie was only made from mutton. And based on all of the additional references in other resources, it's obvious that restriction didn't exist during this time period. Plus, there is more confirmation of the Scottish origin of Shepherd's pie.
The Official Handbook for the National Training School for Cookery, Compiled by R.O.C. (London, 1877) provided a recipe for Shepherd’s Pie, as well as an average cost to make one, 9 1/4 sixpence. The recipe called for "any scraps of cold meat," potatoes and a small onion. It also noted that if there was insufficient fat in the cold meat, that you could add some pork fat. This is the first recipe to add a vegetable, an onion, to the recipe. And once again, we see that any type of meat could be used.
We then find in Margaret Sim's Cookery (London, 1879) a more elaborate ecipe for Shepherd’s Pie that called for you to “Take cold roast beef, mutton, or veal;…” It also called for several vegetables, including onion, carrot, turnip, and celery. In addition, an egg was added to the mashed potatoes. Again, we see that the recipe isn't limited to mutton, though a number of veggies are added, making this one of the more unique Shepherd's pie recipes of this time.
In The Art of Cooking by Matilda Lee Dods (NY, 1880), we find maybe the first time a recipe for Shepherd's Pie was published in an American cookbook. The recipe called for “One pound of cold roast beef, one Spanish onion, one and one-half ounces of butter, one-half ounce of flour, one pound of mashed potatoes, one-half gill of cold water, one teaspoonful of pepper, one teaspoonful of salt." No mutton used here. Differing from prior recipes, a layer of potatoes was first laid down in the pan, and then covered by a layer of meat. Then, additional layers of potatoes and meat were alternated, though potatoes would placed at the very top.
Moving back to newspapers, The Hull Packett and East Riding Times (England), April 1, 1880 published an article about the Pork Pie Club, which created a massive "Shepherd's pork pie, weighing one ton plumping weight, baked with a wagon of Denaby Main coals,.." It "will be eaten with a true South Yorkshire Relish, by the members of the above club, who will also partake of six dozen of Balding’s champagne.” Again, this pie wasn't limited to mutton, though they didn't provide the recipe so it is unknown if it contained any vegetables or not.
The Leeds Mercury (England), June 1, 1881 wrote, "When a sirloin of beef is no longer fit to be brought to the table there is always a great deal of meat on it which can be used for rissoles, croquettes, sausage rolls, Cornish pasties, Shepherd's pie, ..." This article was reprinted in a number of U.S. newspapers, and the first newspaper to do so might have been the Freeborn County Standard (MN), September 1, 1881. This might have also been the first U.S. newspaper reference to Shepherd's pie.
The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent (England), March 4, 1882, published a recipe, “Shepherd’s Pie—Chop fine about a pound of cold meat, add salt, pepper, parsley, and any other seasoning that may be liked; put it in a pie dish and pour it over some good gravy, sufficient to cover the meat; boil about two pounds of potatoes, mash them and put them over the meat nicely smoothed, a few bits of dripping stuck on the top, and a little flour; bake in the oven, or in front of the fire until nicely brown.” Any type of meat could be used, and no vegetables were included in this recipe, similar to the original recipe from 1849.
Back in the U.S., the Sterling Gazette (Kansas), March 20, 1884, quoted a Boston Globe article, providing another recipe for Shepherd’s pie, noting it is made with a “mince of cold mutton, made by cutting the meat in small bits and warming it in a little thickened gravy. This makes a delicious breakfast dish.” No vegetables were included. This recipe was reprinted in numerous other U.S. newspapers over the course of the next 4-5 years. Though this recipe called for mutton, plenty of other later recipes indicated any type of meat could be used.
It's also interesting that Shepherd's pie was seen at this time as a common breakfast dish in the U.S. Numerous later newspapers articles would continue this belief, sometimes showing breakfast menus that included Shepherd's pie. These articles also noted that Shepherd's pie could also be a lunch and dinner dish. You could eat it anytime during the day you desired. Would you eat Shepherd's pie for breakfast? Have you ever enjoyed it for breakfast?
Returning to the UK, The Newcastle Weekly Courant (England), November 13, 1885, penned an article about what cooks can make with cold mutton, referred to several times as “cold meat”. It stated, “Broken ragged pieces may be used for mince, mutton pie, Cornish pasties, shepherd’s pie, vol-au-vent;" There was a follow-up article in their November 20, 1885 issue, giving suggestions for what cooks can produce from cold beef, and that also included “made into Cornish pasty or shepherd’s pie.” As we can see, Shepherd's pie could still be made from mutton or beef.
Rabbits in Shepherd's pie? The Dumfries & Galloway Standard, August 14, 1886, detailed a dinner that included, "the chief dish was shepherd's pie, made with rabbits. Each pie contained four full-grown rabbits, one pound of fat pork, and potatoes in abundance." There certainly don't seem to be any hard and fast rules as to what meats could go into a Shepherd's pie. And rabbit is delicious!
As a brief aside, a similar dish to Shepherd's pie was conceived in the U.S., and it was known as Boston Brown Hash. I haven't yet been able to find the specific origin of this dish, and whether it actually originated in Boston or not, though the earliest reference I found to it was in the Philadelphia Cook Book: A Manual of Home Economics by Sarah Tyson Heston Rorer (G. H. Buchanan & Co., 1886).
The book's recipe stated, “Boston Brown Hash. Chop any remains of steaks, roasts or stews very fine. Grease deep pie-dishes. Put a layer of mashed potatoes (cold ones, left over, will answer) in the bottom of the dish, then a layer of meat, then a layer of stale bread crumbs; sprinkle with salt and pepper; place here and there a few bits of butter, and moisten with a half-cup of beef gravy, then another layer of potatoes. Dip a knife into milk and smooth over the top. Bake in a moderate oven about a half hour, until a nice brown.”
Boston Brown Hash was primarily mentioned in U.S. newspapers and books up to around 1935, and the various sources which provided a recipe were nearly identical. Any type of meat could be used for this dish, and its main difference from Shepherd's pie was the addition of a layer of stale bread crumbs. Why has this recipe been largely forgotten now?
Back to Shepherd's pie. The Hampshire Telegraph and Naval Chronicle (England), December 29, 1888, offered another Shepherd’s Pie recipe, “Cut cold cooked mutton into dice. Cut four good sized cold potatoes into blocks, put a layer of each in a deep baking dish, then a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and chopped parsley, and so continue until the materials are used; pour over a cup of stock or water, and place here and there a few bits of butter. Have ready two cups of mashed potatoes, add to them a quarter cup of cream, a half teaspoonful of salt and a dash of pepper; beat until very light and add a tablespoonful of butter and one cup of sifted flour, mix lightly and roll out in a sheet, cover it over the top of the baking dish, and make a small hole in the centre to allow the escape of steam. Bake in a moderate oven one hour.” This recipe used mutton but no vegetables were included.
The Weekly Standard and Express (England), November 5, 1892, then offered their own recipe for Shepherd’s pie, “Half fill a pudding mould with pieces of beef seasoned with salt and a little pepper. Pour over it a cupful of gravy, with a slight suggestion of Worcestershire sauce, catsup or vinegar, to give piquancy, cover with a thin crust of newly-boiled and mashed potatoes, and bake in a moderately heated oven to a nice light golden-brown colour.” Beef and mutton both remained as valid options for Shepherd's pie.
Next, in the U.S., the McPherson Daily Republican (Kansas), September 11, 1893 published a recipe stating, “Cut into dice one quart of any kind of cold meat. Mince very fine two tablespoonfuls of salt pork, and add to the meat.” The recipe also called for the addition of an onion, still the most common vegetable used in any of these recipes.
Returning to the UK, The Newcastle Weekly Courant (England), August 25, 1894, published, “Shepherd’s Pie (made of fragments of meat and cold potatoes).—Take whatever fragments of meat there may be in the larder, and double its bulk in potatoes. Mash the potatoes smoothly, and beat them up with a slice of melted butter, a little milk, and salt. Cut the meat into thin slices, free from fat, skin, and gristle; or if preferred, mince it finely. Season it with pepper and salt. Butter a shallow pie dish, put the meat into it, and moisten it with any gravy there may be, and a teaspoonful of Worcester sauce. If liked, a small onion finely chopped, and two sage leaves can be sprinkled over the meat. Cover with a thick layer of mashed potato, rough the top with a fork, and bake in a moderate oven until the pie is hot through, and brown on top.” We see again that any type of meat can be used, and an onion is used.
Though beef, mutton, and pork have all been choices for Shepherd's Pie, it doesn't stop there. The Freeman’s Journal (Dublin, Ireland), February 7, 1895, in an article on Some Recipes for Second Day Cooking, noted, “.., and such parts of the joint as still remain may be cut off and mixed together with any other scraps of cold meat, game, or poultry that there may be in the house, and served either as mince or shepherd’s pie for luncheon,…” Even poultry was permissible in your Shepherd's pie.
Back in the U.S., the Boston Globe, February 5, 1895, provided a Shepherd's pie recipe that called for the use of a "mince of cold lamb" and no vegetables. A slightly different recipe was in the Boston Globe, March 11, 1895, and it used mutton, though still no vegetables. The Marshfield News and Wisconsin Hub, June 13, 1895, also published a recipe calling for “A pound of mutton, minced fine, or any scraps of cold meat can be minced and used for this dish.” The Circleville News (KS), March 26, 1896, also printed a recipe that called for “Minced cold beef or lamb.”
What about Scotland? Well, The Courier and Argus (Scotland), October 29, 1896, published a recipe, “Shepherd’s Pie—Take cold meat, slice it, break the bones, and put them in with a little boiling water and salt. Boil till all the strength is extracted, and reduce to a little thin strain. Season the sliced meat, and lay in a baking dish. Pour in the sauce. Add ketchup. Cover with a paste of mashed potatoes, and bake in a brisk oven.” It calls for "cold meat" in general and doesn't differentiate what kind of meat. Also note that it calls for the addition of ketchup!
In The Californian, February 21, 1899, the paper presented a Shepherd's pie recipe that stated you could use "cold mutton, lamb or veal" and no vegetables were included in the recipe either. The Times (PA), May 16, 1899, printed a recipe that included "cold beef, onions, and potatoes." The Buffalo Evening News (NY), May 31, 1900, had a recipe calling for "cold mutton." And in another New York newspaper, the New-York Tribune, December 28, 1900, the recipe stated you could use "any kind of cold meat" and it also included the use of an onion. The News Journal (DE), February 5, 1901, had a recipe that stated you could use "whatever meat was at hand," and it too required an onion. And The Boston Globe, July 23, 1903, had a recipe using "cold meat" and an onion. We can see these recipes vary as to the type of meat that is used, most using whatever is available, and the only vegetable they still used were onions.
The Gloucestershire Echo, December 11, 1914, published, "Cottage pie (alias shepherd's pie) is a useful stand by; and it, too, will awaken tender recollections of home." We can see that 65 years after the first documented use of the term "shepherd's pie," it is still used interchangeably with cottage pie, indicating both are made from beef or mutton/lamb.
Let's jump forward a bit and check in on England. The Guardian (London), April 29, 1930, printed an article that stated, “The remains of joints such as shoulders and legs of mutton and ribs of sirloin of beef have many uses. Minced finely the meat can be made into potted meat, with the addition of seasoning and a little good stock, or it may be used to form a shepherd’s pie or rissoles, or it may be warmed in a little good gravy and served with boiled rice.” We continue to see that both mutton and beef could be used in a Shepherd's pie.
And later that year, The Guardian (London), December 30, 1930, published another fascinating article, titled Shepherd’s Pie: The Real Thing. It explained what they considered to be the proper way to prepare a Shepherd's pie, noting that “The false dish consists of a hash, containing ‘left-over’ mutton or beef disguised with sauce and concealed by potato. Not so the true. Though one of the least expensive dishes in all the home repertory, it should be also one of the most welcome, as it is certainly second to none in warming and nourishing qualities.”
It then went into detail about the type of meat that should be used. “It must be made from fresh meat. With this proviso it offers a wide range of flavouring and composition. If of mutton, the meat should be comparatively free from fat; if of beef, an admixture of fat is allowable. In either case the meat should be of good quality and freshly minced (not cut up), but a quarter of a pound is ample allowance for each person." We again see that Shepherd's pie, the "real thing," could be made with either mutton or beef. So, 80 years after the first Shepherd's pie recipe was published, we still see that any type of meat could be used. With that amount of time, it seems this is definitely a traditional dish.
This article was also the first to add numerous other vegetables, and not just onions, to the dish. It stated, "The meat should be spread loosely at the bottom of a pie-dish. Then scraped carrot, finely ringed onions, sieved or squeezed tomatoes (without their skins), and, if possible, some peeled and cut-up mushrooms are added in a layer over the meat. A very little of each vegetable goes a long way, and the more there are the better the pie." It continued, "A very small sprinkling of mixed herbs, with a bay leaf to work its subtle magic, is an addition for those who like herb flavouring."
Finally, it discussed the mashed potatoes and the cooking of this dish. "Then a generous plateful of well-cooked potatoes which have been mashed with pepper and salt and a tablespoonful of hot milk is added smoothly and thickly over and scored with a fork for better browning. But between the meat and the potato some knobs of butter and a very little salted water or weak stock have been inserted. The slower this dish cooks the better. It is important that no dry salt be added to the meat layer.”
The Aberdeen Press (Scotland), September 28, 1932, continued supporting the position that Cottage pie and Shepherd's pie were alternate terms for the same thing. It printed, "Many different kinds of pies can be made from cold minced meat. Many of them are slight variations of the well-known Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie for which the minced meat mixed with gravy, stock and seasonings is put in the bottom of a pie dish and covered with mashed potatoes dotted with little pieces of butter." This article also doesn't mention that any vegetables are included in this recipe.
Seven years later, The Guardian (England), May 31, 1939, presented another recipe for Shepherd’s pie. “Mince the meat finely together, with a couple ounces of ham to half a pound of beef or other meat.” Once again, the type of meat doesn't really matter, and there is the addition of ham! It is also around this time that the newspapers started to discuss the use of tinned and canned meats in making Shepherd's pie, due to meat shortages because of the war. The Guardian, in subsequent issues, presented some different recipes to use this tinned meat for Shepherd's Pie. This is probably also why The Guardian (England), January 31, 1940, presented a recipe for a Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie recipe, which used boiled haricot beans, lentils, chopped onion, grated cheese, and mashed potatoes.
There wasn't much mention of the ingredients for Shepherd's pie again until the early 1960s. The Daily Mirror (England), February 8, 1961, presented a more unusual recipe. It called for any type of minced meat, but also included a "small tin of baked beans in tomato sauce" as well as chopped mushrooms. The Liverpool Echo (England), May 2, 1962, mentioned that "minced steak" can be used in Shepherd's pie. The Newcastle Evening Chronicle (England), January 10, 1963, made a similar suggestion, stating you could use "canned stewed steak."
The Thanet (England), April 2, 1963, had a recipe for Curried Shepherd's Pie, which required minced lamb or beef. The only vegetable was an onion, and there was also the addition of curry powder. Even these different recipes were still relatively simple, with only a handful of ingredients. The Guardian (England), March 6, 1963, wrote that you could use leftovers from your sirloin joint to make Shepherd’s pie. This advice was repeated in The Guardian (England), November 3, 1967 and The Guardian (England), June 24, 1976.
Pork in Shepherd's pie? I previously mentioned an example of pork used in such a recipe, and now there is another. The Tatler (England), September 11, 1963, discussed the uses of gammon, the hind leg of a pig, and similar to ham. One of those detailed uses was in Shepherd's pie. Lamb, beef, pork, poultry, rabbit, and more were all acceptable ingredients.
The People (London), February 21, 1971, presented another different recipe, which called for minced beef, as well as Italian tomatoes, onions, cinnamon, and grated cheddar cheese. In a later issue, The People (London), February 13, 1972, mentioned how Shepherd's pie is "traditionally made with meat" but gives a recipe to make a version with Fish. The Coventry Evening Telegraph, December 31, 1974, also provided a recipe, but it called for minced lamb, back bacon, an onion, mushrooms, carrot and a tomato. The Daily Mirror, November 25, 1974, references making Shepherd's pie with "left-over roast from Sunday or fresh-minced beef."
The Birmingham Daily Post (England), April 15, 1977, printed a recipe that used lean, minced beef, as well as an onion, carrot, tin of tomatoes, and ground cinnamon. The Belfast Telegraph (Ireland), May 11, 1977, detailed how on Monday nights, "The old standby was Shepherd's Pie made with remains from the Sunday roast." Beef, not lamb. The Sligo Champion (Ireland), January 27, 1978, printed a Shepherd's pie recipe, which used minced beef, onions and tomatoes.
We have now seen that the use of beef in Shepherd's pie has been acceptable for over 125 years. I think it's more than fair to say that it is a traditional ingredient for this dish. How can you ignore such a lengthy time period? So when did some people start claiming lamb was the primary identifier for Shepherd's pie? Obviously such a claim can only possess a far more limited time period.
The Observer (England), January 16, 1977, was one of the first newspapers to document differences in the ingredients between Cottage pie and Shepherd's pie. The article mentions that Shepherd's pie was made from either mutton or lamb, and otherwise, if beef were used, it would be known as cottage pie. The article fails to explain the rationale for this division and doesn't make claims to a lengthy historical basis. In addition, two years later, The Observer (England), January 7, 1979, provided a recipe for Shepherd's pie that used minced beef. A bit of a contradiction there.
The Bridgewater Journal (England), May 17, 1986, supported the differentiation between the two pies, noting, "Most people think any minced meat covered in potato is Shepherd's Pie, but strictly Shepherd's pie is lamb, and mashed potato, while cottage pie is beef tiled with potato slices like slates on a cottage roof." Yet, months later, the Liverpool Echo (England), December 2, 1986, still provided a Shepherd's Pie recipe calling for minced beef. And the contradiction continued.
The claim that Shepherd's pie must contain lamb appears to have originated in the late 1970s, though it certainly wasn't a belief held by everyone. Over the years, since the late 1970s, the belief has acquired many more adherents, until it has reached the point that some now claim it is the "traditional" way to prepare Shepherd's pie. That belief is obviously mistaken as historically, for over 125 years, it has been allowable to use beef, or any other meat, in Shepherd's pie. Just examine all of the numerous recipes and references I've mentioned in this article.
Shepherd's pie, using any type of meat, from beef to lamb, has a much stronger position to be known as the "traditional" way to prepare the recipe. Restricting Shepherd's pie to only lamb is a modern concept, and makes little sense when viewing the historical record. In addition, any claim that specific vegetables must used in Shepherd's pie is also a modern invention, as throughout 125+ years of history, Shepherd's pie usually didn't contain vegetables, and when it did, onions were the most common, and usually the only vegetable used. A few outliers existed throughout this history, but they were rarities, and not the norm.
Claiming Shepherd's pie can only be made from lamb may be a modern tradition, but it is not the traditional way to prepare it. So, enjoy your Shepherd's pie anyway that you'd like. Even if it's a Shepherd's Pie Donut!
Hopefully, this provides some clarity on these issues, though additional research would probably be beneficial.
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