Gordon Ramsay's Secret To The Best Shepherd's Pie Is All In The Meat

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has experienced his fair share of hell in the kitchen. Yet, he's also the man responsible for some of the most heavenly dishes you'll ever eat, including his divine takes on avocado toast and tomato soup. Another example that falls firmly into this category is his version of shepherd's pie.

Like many of us, the famous chef has a soft spot for this old-fashioned dish, which originated in the United Kingdom and is traditionally made from ground lamb and vegetables in a rich brown gravy, topped with mashed potatoes. However, as can be expected of someone of Ramsay's caliber (remembering that he has multiple restaurants, cookbooks, TV shows, and Michelin stars to his name), he has a little secret up his sleeve to really knock this classic dish out of the park. That secret involves what is the rightful star of the show here, the meat. Or more specifically, a couple of key ingredients that will really amp up and enhance its rich, slightly gamey flavor.

In a cooking demo on his official YouTube channel, the chef can be seen generously seasoning the ground lamb as it cooks, before grating in onion, carrot, and garlic. "That's the secret behind a really good shepherd's pie," he says. "It's all in the mince." Touché.

Gordon Ramsay breaks down the method for making his chef-quality classic shepherd's pie in the YouTube video, mentioning a couple of other helpful tips for handling the meat before getting to the main point (that is, adding the seasoning and vegetables). He recommends starting with a hot, oiled pan, then cooking the ground lamb until nice and brown — a process that he says "gets rid of that unwanted fat; there's nothing worse than a greasy shepherd's pie.") He also adds a generous sprinkling of salt before grating an onion, carrot, and some cloves of garlic. "Once the vegetables are grated in there they disintegrate and almost puree, adding great flavor," he explains. And he's not wrong, these particular ingredients work in perfect harmony with the hearty profile of the shepherd's pie, as well as the distinctly earthy quality of the lamb (grating the onion is particularly helpful here, as doing so also releases its precious, flavor-packed juices). Not only that, they meld almost seamlessly into the mixture, unlike the cubed carrots, peas, corn kernels, and other ingredients that are often used. 

Adding seasoning and grated vegetables to the meat isn't the only flavor-boosting tip that Ramsay has when it comes to cooking up shepherd's pie — he also favors a healthy helping of parmesan cheese to the mashed potatoes so they'll brown better. This cheesy tip will really drive home the comfort food theme and ultimately create a dish that's — in Ramsay's own words — "absolutely delicious."