Rancheros Pie

This 'Southern Style' shepherds pie is the very first dish i made in a slow cooker.

Because it was a new experience, a first, it lasts long and fondly in my memory, just like your first kiss.

Every time i make it it takes me back to a time before this particular pleasure was something i'd experienced and i wonder how life was ever interesting or acceptable without it?  

I'd obviously heard of slow cookers but being a very impatient person, my advent calendars have always been finished by the 3rd of December, i had never had a desire to use one - until Rachel and I moved in together and Rach, it transpired, came with a slow cooker and very attached to it she was too!

As she came with quite a small quantity of household items, the slow cooker, a couple of mugs and what looks like a snake charmers basket which is apparently used to keep tortillas warm, i felt that i should embrace these gifts she was bringing into our new home and decided to give it a go. 

My initial apprehensions, that i would be left starving while waiting 8 hours for my dinner to slowly become edible before my eyes were unfounded. I discovered that the slow cooker does not stop snacking or sandwich making in the mean time and the results of the dish it produces are often incredible for the simplicity of the techniques applied. The smells that it produces are possibly worth the purchase price alone, put away your jasmine scented candles and rely on this to fill your home with the relaxing aromas of slow cooked minced beef.

In all honesty and looking objectively at the Rancheros Pie it isn't the greatest dish of all time, a little like your first kiss will not have been the greatest kiss of all time, they're both a little messy, the basics are there but something just isn't quite right. The memory, however, of the life changing moment, the key point in your life when everything would change forever means this dish will always hold a special place in our heart and is fully deserving of a place on this blog!

Ingredients, to serve 4 -

500g Minced Beef

1 Onion, finely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves

Tsp Cumin

1/2 Tsp crushed dried red chillis

1/4 tsp ground all spice

2 stems of oregano, roughly chopped

3 tbsps sultanas

400g can chopped toatoes

250ml beef stock

Salt and Pepper

Topping -

500g Sweet potatoes, thinly sliced

25g butter

Extra dried chilli flakes

• Add the beef and onion to a pan and fry until browned.

• Stir in garlic, spices, oregano, sultanas, tomatoes and stock.

• Bring to the boil and add a little salt and pepper to taste.

• Spoon into a pre heated slow cooker and cover with overlapping slices of sweet potato, dot with butter and sprinkle with chilli flakes and a little black pepper.

• Cover with lid and cook on low for 7-8 hours, remove the lid and turn up to high for the last hour or so if the sauce is looking too watery.

• Brown and crisp under the grill (optional) before serving .