The 1-Ingredient Trick I Learned in Ireland for the Best Shepherd’s Pie

I’ve spent many precious hours with my dad in pubs all over Ireland on his “beverage research trips,” learning the tricks (and stories) that informed his own Irish-style pub back stateside. As a cookbook author and food writer, my focus was always the food, not the pints. My consistent order? Shepherd’s pie. 

A rich savory casserole made of ground lamb, onions, carrots, and parsnips in a savory gravy topped with mashed potatoes and sometimes cheese, it’s a classic that’s served all over Ireland and the British Isles. The best shepherd’s pie I’ve ever had was in far northwest Ireland near Gleneveagh National Park in a pub I’ve long since forgotten the name of.  

Their shepherd’s pie had a rich gravy with a complex flavor that tasted like the best long-simmered sauces I had ever encountered in fancy Paris restaurants. It makes my lips smack just thinking of it! 

I asked the bartender for the recipe and he shared their game-changing trick: They add stout to the gravy. My shepherd’s pie and cottage pies have never been without stout since. 

The Best Stout for Shepherd’s Pie 

You’ll need to open up a can and use half cup of it for the pie, the rest goes into the cook, so use what you like to drink. Guinness is, of course, the most widely distributed Irish stout in the U.S. and is usually cheaper than other Irish brands. Guinness Draught Stout in particular delivers a dry, roasty flavor with a hint of savory soy sauce-like umami. (Guinness Extra is a little too bittersweet and forceful in flavor for cooking in braises and gravies.) 

That said, there are more interesting Irish stouts out there that can lend their own qualities to shepherd’s pie. To my palate, Murphy’s Stout tastes creamier and a tad less bitter, while Beamish delivers a likeable malt-meets-chocolate flavor that goes nicely with the slightly gamey flavor of lamb. Both are good choices if you can find them. 

You might also try oatmeal stout, the addition of oats in the brewing process means a creamier, slightly sweet flavor that’s great as a pint and in a savory pie. I don’t recommend imperial stout because the strong flavor (and alcohol) can bulldoze the balance of a good gravy. Ditto for milk stouts, which have a sweeter profile that’s best reserved for chocolate cake. 

How To Add Stout to Shepherd’s Pie 

In any recipe, substitute half a cup of the beef broth with stout. You’ll want to burn off the alcohol in stout to mellow out the flavor, so treat it just like you would wine when deglazing. Add it to the aromatic vegetables after they’re done sautéing and let it sizzle away for a few minutes before stirring in the flour and the broth. You can always add just a splash more if you’d like a little more pronounced flavor at the end, but don’t go overboard, or the gravy will become too beerish. 

Once all the ingredients for the gravy/filling are in the pan, give it time to simmer and for the flavors to meld. The best shepherd’s pies are made with filling that’s made patiently, slowly bubbling away and intensifying in flavor as the gravy reduces. Think of it as a Northern bolognese, time is an ingredient. 

If you’re not fond of lamb, you can use stout the same way in cottage pie, which is shepherd’s pie with ground beef instead of lamb. I’ve also used stout in my husband’s favorite vegetarian lentil-based shepherd’s pie with great luck. 

Now that you know the power of stout in cooking, I predict you’ll be adding it to all manner of stews, soups, rarebit, and cakes. 

The Best Shepherd’s Pie Recipes 

• Easy Shepherd’s Pie
• Healthy Shepherd’s Pie
• Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie