Jenn Smulo
Nine Fine Irishmen’s hearty Shepherd’s Pie.
Sunday, March 10, 2019 | 3 a.m.
Like almost every other bar and restaurant in the New York-New York Hotel and Casino, Nine Fine Irishmen has become a popular pre-game or post-game destination since the Vegas Golden Knights came to town. But before there was hockey, this was one of the city’s most beloved and authentic Irish pubs and that hasn’t changed one bit.
With St. Patrick’s Day coming up, it’s an obviously great time to revisit this friendly, delicious pub, but if you can’t make it to the Big Apple on the south Strip, at least you can prepare a proper Shepherd’s Pie to celebrate the holiday — and it’s a much more simple dish than you might suspect. Throw on a green apron, crack open a Guinness and get to work.
Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients:
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 lbs. ground beef
1½ lbs. beef tips (or beef stew chunks)
3 carrots, diced
1 medium white onion, diced
½ cup cooked mashed potatoes
2 cups tomato purée
1 tbsp. thyme
1 tbsp. sage
½ bunch parsley, chopped
1 cup red wine
salt and pepper to taste
1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot at medium-high. Add meat and cook until thoroughly browned, then drain the fat from the pot. Break up any clumps.
2. Add carrots and onions and cook until vegetables are tender.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Add tomato purée and red wine to stockpot and mix well. Reduce heat to simmer for five minutes.
5. Add sage, thyme and parsley, plus salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook until preferred consistency. You want a stew-like thickness.
6. Put the pot’s contents in a tall casserole dish or other large, oven-safe pot. Top the stew with an even layer of the mashed potatoes and bake for 4-5 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.
Nine Fine Irishmen at New York-New York (3790 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-740-3311), is open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.-11 p.m.
