Saturday, November 16, 2019

A German-Style Shepherd's Pie with a French Rasteau Wine #Winophiles

This German Style Shepherds Pie known as Jager Eintopf is layer upon layer of savory flavor.  It is a warm, hearty, stick to your ribs dinner, perfect for this time of year.


I paired it for dinner one night with a bottle of French wine from Rasteau......
Michelle of Rockin Red Blog invited us to join her in an Exploration of Rasteau.  Michelle also arranged for some of us to receive samples of Rasteau wine.  I was fortunate enough to be provided with 3 bottles for tasting purposes.  All opinions are strictly my own and I received no monetary payment for this post.

Liz of What's in that Bottle is hosting this month's event.  You can learn more in her article explaining why she thinks you should choose Rasteau as the wine served at your Thanksgiving dinner table.

Let's take a look at what everyone thinks about the Rasteau they tried...you may have just found your new, perfect bottle for this upcoming Holiday.



I actually paired 3 different bottles of Rasteau for this event that we will be chatting about over at Twitter today following #Winophiles.  Please join us and learn more about these wines from the Rhone Valley.



The first pairing I did was Coffee Scented Short Ribs that I paired with the Beaurenard Rasteau.  I chose this wine on the advice of David from Cooking Chat who suggested I use the Rasteau with the highest alcohol content for this pairing.  Good advice.

The Beaurenard has an alcohol content of 14%.  It is dry and spicy and was able to stand up to the strong flavors of the coffee rub.  It is made of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah grapes.  We found it to be full bodied and well rounded.



The second pairing I did was based on research that said that Rasteau pairs well with Asian spices that are not to hot.  I paired the Brusset Rasteau with a Soy Glazed Pork Chop that I will be sharing with you early next week.  You are going to want to stay tuned for this amazing recipe.

The Brusset Rasteau is a blend of Grenache and Mourvedre grapes.  It pours a very dark, almost inky purple.  It is dry and full of licorice flavor.  I thought the pairing was quite nice with the glaze and the pork.  The fruit salad garnish did have a bit of heat to it and I thought the wine stood up to that heat fairly well.


After the first two pairings I decided to pair the final bottle with the German Style Shepherd's Pie that I'm sharing with you today.  I thought the layers of flavors in this dish would bring out the earthiness of the Rasteau.

The final bottle I am sharing with you today is from Verquiere Vineyards and is a very dry, full bodied wine.  This Domaine has been in the family for generations and is now converted to using organic farming for the grapes.  Made of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah it is dark in color and full of spice.  The layer of garlicky mushrooms in this Shepherd's Pie was an amazing match for this wine.

All 3 wines reminded me of Pinot Noir with a bit more heaviness.  I agree with Liz that it will make a wonderful pairing with all the fall flavors that we enjoy with our Thanksgiving meals.




I started this recipe with a round steak that I pulled right from the freezer and placed into my Instant Pot.  You don't have to do this step if you are not a procrastinator like me or if you don't have an Instant Pot just derfrost the steak first, cut it into chunks and cook it on the stove top in the broth until tender.




#German, #casseroles, beef, #instantpot, #potatoes, #cauliflower,
Casseroles, Entrees, Beef, Instant Pot
German
Yield: 8 Servings
Author:

Jager Eintopf (German Style Shepherd

Jager Eintopf (German Style Shepherd's Pie)

This German Style Shepherds Pie known as Jager Eintopf is layer upon layer of savory flavor. It is a warm, hearty, stick to your ribs dinner, perfect for this time of year.
prep time: 45 Mcook time: 1 H & 45 Mtotal time: 1 H & 90 M

ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. Round Steak
  • 2 c. Beef Stock
  • 2 T. cornstarch
  • 2 T. cold water
  • 2 t. olive oil
  •  2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 lg. leek, sliced in half, well washed and sliced into moons
  • 1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into small dice
  • 1 stalk celery, sliced
  • Handful of parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and chopped
  • 2 T. butter
  • salt and pepper to taste

instructions:

How to cook Jager Eintopf (German Style Shepherd's Pie)

  1. Place the round steak into an Instant Pot with the broth.  Seal the lid for pressure cooking and press the meat setting.  When Instant Pot signals the meat is cooked, allow to release pressure naturally for 15 minutes and then carefully release the remaining steam using the pressure release valve.
  2. Remove the beef from the Instant Pot to a cutting board and shred, discarding any fat, bone or gristle.  Press the saute setting on the Instant Pot and bring the broth to a boil.  Whisk together the cornstarch and water.  Add to the broth, season with salt and pepper, cook and stir until thickened.  Turn off Instant Pot.
  3. While beef is cooking , heat the olive oil in a skillet over med high heat.  Add the carrots, leek, rutabaga and celery.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook stirring occasionally until tender, 15 minutes or so.  Remove to a bowl and set aside.
  4. In the same skillet cook the mushrooms and garlic until the mushrooms release their juices and most have cooked off.  Remove to a bowl and set aside.
  5. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes and cauliflower until softened.  Drain, return to pan along with butter, salt and pepper, using a masher or an immersion blend, mash until smooth.
  6. Combine the beef and gravy and place into the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan.  Top this with half of the potato mixture.  Next make a layer of the vegetables, followed my a layer of the mushrooms.  Finish up with the remaining potato mixture.  
  7. Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 45-60 minutes, until bubbly hot and nicely browned.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing if you desire the layers to stay intact.

NOTES:

Adapted from a recipe found at Kitchen Project. You can divide the mixture between 2 smaller baking pans if desired, serving one immediately and freezing the other for a later date.
Calories
489.04
Fat (grams)
15.20
Sat. Fat (grams)
6.04
Carbs (grams)
48.18
Fiber (grams)
7.52
Net carbs
40.66
Sugar (grams)
6.41
Protein (grams)
43.42
Sodium (milligrams)
266.16
Cholesterol (grams)
109.69
Created using The Recipes Generator





5 comments:

  1. I paired the same wine - plus one from a different year, same wine - with a lasagna dinner. Not too much spice, as you say. It was unexpectedly dry, but delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That Shepherd's Pie looks fantastic, and having tried a bottle from Domaine de Verquiere I can absolutely see this being a great match.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your shepherds pie looks great and a perfect pairing with these wines!

    ReplyDelete

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