“Stewards Pie”
Description:
Get it? Like Shepards Pie but with Conservation Steward? Anyway, this is a great winter ground deer recipe that’s super simple to make and will fill you up with warm delicious wild game on this cold winter days after checking the trapline, ice fishing or even skiing if that’s your thing. Try this “Stewards Pie” recipe this weekend.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 lb. Mule Deer Ground
- 2 teaspoons parsley
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 garlic cloves -minced (measure Garlic with your heart)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth or wild game bone broth if you have it handy
- 1 cup frozen mixed peas & carrots*
POTATO TOPPING:
- 1 ½ – 2 lb. russet potatoes -about 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 8 tablespoons butter -1 stick
- 1/3 cup half & half
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Cooking Instructions:
The Meat:
Add the oil to a large skillet and place it over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the ground deer to the skillet and break it uo with a wooden spoon. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and and pepper. Stir well. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally.
Add the Worcester and garlic
Then add flour and Tomato paste
Stir well
Add the broth, frozen peas and carrots, and frozen corn. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Set aside
Set Oven to 400 degrees
The Potatoes:
Boil Potatoes until they are fork tender
Drain Potatoes
Return Potatoes to pot
Add Butter, Half and half, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
Mash Potatoes
Add cheese and stir
Build the Stewards Pie:
Pour meat mixture into cast iron skillet ( a big one 14 or 16 in in diameter)
Spoon mashed potatoes atop meat mix (you can pipe it in to make a =fancy design if you want but a spoon works just fine)
Slide pie into oven for 20 min
Turn oven off and turn on broil lowest power
Let pie broil for additional 2 minutes
Remove from oven and serve!
Cocktail pairing:
The best cocktail for this dish is a classic Guinness. You can substitute with the Porter style beer of your choice if you prefer but please know that using Guinness is the best, and you’re kidding yourself with any substitute. Get the Good Stuff! https://www.guinness.com/en-us
Get Cooking!
As always, Good luck this fall everyone and remember to send any success pictures or stories from the field to [email protected] and you could be featured on our website or in our magazine. If this article or any of our articles have helped you become a better hunter or conservation steward, consider becoming a member of the mule deer foundation for only $35 dollars a year. Click here to join: https://muledeer.org/product-category/membership/
Trevor J Hubbs @TrevorHubbs on Instagram
Trevor is the Communications Manager for the Mule deer Foundation. He grew up hunting and fishing the eastern edge of the Ozark Mountains for quail, ducks, and bucks. Trevor is also a contributor for “Fur, Fish, and Game”, “Lethal Minds Journal”, “Strung Magazine”, “Fly Fisherman”, and “Shooting Sportsman” among others.
