POLL for ENGLISH mners only - do you enjoy minced beef hotpot or minced beef stew?

[nappyaddict]

I've never cooked it before but was considering trying it. DP's not sure and thinks it might be one of those meals you would have had to have been brought up on to appreciate it. It's a traditional scottish/irish meal IIRC? I think it might be one of those things that doesn't look too appetizing but actually tastes really yummy.

It's no different to stew really, just with smaller bits of meat.

You need good quality mince though, not cheap greasy stuff.

I'm Scottish though so shouldn't really be answering!!

Yes we do (and are mainly english)

I do a quick stew of mince. serve with mash or yorkshire pudding.

I am English, but with Irish dad and Scottish mum.

Yes I like it.

DH though, v English, thinks it is too sloppy unless done as cottage pie.

I've clearly missed a thread that triggered this one, but I honestly didn't realise until now that "mince" (by which I mean mince that's browned and then cooked in stock with carrots, onion, celery whatever) was a Celtic fringe dish rather than a general UK one.

Mince was pretty much the only meat we got growing up (other than Sundays). So what was the English cheap equivalent?

Sorry, both sound horrid. Wherever you are from. IMHO mice is an ingredient for comfort food chilli con carne, homemade burgers, lasagne, shepherds pie. Stews are make with braising steaks not mince. The dishes you mention in your op remind me of school dinners from the 1970s.

Sorry if I've offended anyone. I wanted people to answer that wouldn't necessarily have grown up with the meals as I was fairly sure they were regional ones.

Looks like I was wrong on regions though as that link says lancashire.

I don't like mince at all, its too fatty and I can;t remove the pieces of fat like I can with a chunk of steak.

I have occaionally eaten mince my mum has minced herself from very lean meat where she removed all of the fat first.

I think I might be who you are looking for.
I am English and was not raised on british/irish savoury mince dishes, but I know what you are talking about.
Unfortunately I have still not had it so am unable to be of assistance

I do meatballs and bol and stuff with my mince.

I have just been informed by a nothern friend lancashire hot pot should actually be made with chunks of lamb and prater pie should be made with minced beef.

PRATER PIE

1lb good-quality lean mince beef (as little fat as possible)
2 onions, peeled and chopped.
2 carrots, peeled and chopped.
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into irregular slices.
2 teaspoons Bisto powder made up with a teacup of cold water (or proper stock if you have it).
salt and pepper.
FOR THE PASTRY
6oz plain flour
3oz lard (or half marge, half lard)
Pinch of salt
Cold water to bind

METHOD
Layer approx one third of the potato slices on the bottom of a casserole dish, scatter approx one half of the onion and carrot over this, then crumble approx one half of the mince by hand over them to form a third layer. Season with salt and pepper.

Repeat layering and seasoning, ending with a layer of potatoes.

Pour the Bisto/stock over the casserole. Add water or more stock as necessary to bring the level of liquid at the bottom of the casserole up to one inch in depth at most. It is important not to drown it by having too much liquid in the casserole to start with.

Cook in oven at Gas Mark 5 for 30 minutes. While it is cooking, make up the pastry in the usual way by rubbing the fat into the flour and binding with cold water.

After the 30 minutes, remove the casserole. Roll out the pastry to the correct size and place on top of the pie in the casserole dish. Make it fit roughly at the edges, folding the edges over on themselves if necessary. The pastry lid should sit on top of the potato and meat, not over the rim of the casserole dish.

Make a couple of slits in the pastry lid to allow steam to escape. Return the casserole dish to the oven (leaving off its glass lid so that the pastry will cook properly.

Allow to cook for another 20-25 minutes until the pastry lid is a very pale golden brown.

Serve with simple greens and pickled red cabbage.

YY northerners have savoury mince like there's no tomorrow.

Just for balance, I'm Scottish and I loathe mince and tatties. I grew up eating it evey week, sometimes more, but I'd never make it. Ever.

It's fine if assembled into a cottage pie. But a pile of lumpy, under-seasoned, butter-less mash with some mince cooked with onion and carrots slopped onto the plate beside it is not something I ever want to eat again.

Why don't you just choose a recipe you like the look of and cook it?

Or is that a bit obvious?

Damsel you have just made me realise that I am talking out of my arse (not for the first time).

Cottage pie and shepherds pie we had, lots of.

Just the plate of mince with something on the side scenario we didn't get involved in.

You should count yourself lucky then. Runny mince on a plate is not an appetising sight.

And there's an australian version called Shearer's mince and potato hotpot.

You don't make it sound that alluring, Damsel.

nappyaddict just make a nice pie

hotpot is chunks and you have slices of potato on top.

prefer mash myself

I love mince and Yorkshire puddings, savoury mince made with diced carrot, celery and onion with tomato purée, worcestershire sauce, beef stock and
parsley. I sometimes cheat and use frozen mixed vegetables for speed.
Served with Yorkshire puddings and a green veg makes a delicious meal.

For those from the North West:

Meat and Potato pie.

All you need to know.

is a meat and potato pie the same sort of thing as a cornish pastie?

we have it quite regularly - I do have Scottish and Irish ancestry but too far back to have any influence on my tastes !

pasty

If you are having mince and tatties you NEED to have a square of puff pastry too, oh and some bread to soak up the gravy