Brazilian Escondidinho: A Delicious Medley Of Beef, Mashed Potatoes & Cheese
Everything tastes better when you bake cheese on top of it, right? That's certainly the case with Shepherd's Pie, which brings together a simply divine mix of tender meat, creamy potatoes and cheesy crust. Today's recipe gives this English classic a Brazilian twist and goes by the name escondidinho, which literally translates as 'little hidden one.' The dish was probably given this moniker because the mashed potatoes hide the glorious beefy goodness inside...
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Cast-iron pan
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef (suitable for braising)
- 10 fl oz beef stock
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 19 oz chopped tomatoes
- 6 oz diced onions
- 3 diced garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp rosemary
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp coarse pepper
- 3 lb potatoes (floury)
- 3 fl oz olive oil
- salt
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 3 oz butter
- 8 oz grated cheese
Instructions
- Wash the unpeeled potatoes, cut an X into each one and place them on a baking tray. Pour oil onto the potatoes and sprinkle on a generous amount of salt. Bake the potatoes at 325°F for 45 minutes until they're nice and soft.
- Meanwhile, mix the onions, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper with the chopped tomatoes. Cut the beef into small pieces and fry them in oil. Next, add the beef stock, paprika and chopped tomato mixture. Leave the bolognese sauce to simmer.Tip: We recommend using a cast-iron pan so you can place it in the oven later.
- Leave the potatoes to cool until they can be held. Cut them in half and spoon out the insides.
- Now mix the potato with cream cheese and butter. Spread the mash on top of the bolognese sauce.
- To finish, sprinkle some cheese onto the mash and bake everything at 425°F for 10 minutes.
