Shepherd's Pie

St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching, and if you’re like the preponderance of Americans looking to eat like they’re Irish, you’re probably thinking about where you can indulge in some corned beef and cabbage. The thing is, maybe you should consider something else. After all, corned beef might not really be Irish. Plus, there are numerous dishes from the Emerald Isle worth your consideration. One such dish is shepherd’s pie. So, in preparation of your, perhaps, partaking in the pie, let’s look at its history.

You might be thinking, “Of all the Irish dishes, why are you focusing on shepherd’s pie?” Truth be told, when I think of a St. Paddy’s feast, corned beef is top of mind. There, I said it. Call me a basic lad. I guess I’m just like everyone else. But I covered the origins of corned beef last year, and I can’t very well write it again, now, can I? So, I thought about my alternate meal. The meal that I’d have if I were angling to celebrate with (at least so-called) Irish food, but wasn’t quite feeling corned beef. As I considered what that would be, it hit me—shepherd’s pie. So, that’s reason number one.

The second reason is that shepherd’s pie has as much claim to Ireland as any other food out there. Unlike current variations of corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie actually is an Irish delicacy.