Felix's grandma, Doris Godward’s Shepherd’s Pie — A Family Recipe Across Generations

There’s something about shepherd’s pie that always brings me back to my grandmother, Doris Godward. She had this way of cooking that was quiet, deliberate, and honest. Her family had come from England generations ago — railroad workers who settled in Argentina. By the time I was growing up there, the dish had already crossed three generations of our family, morphing a little with each one.

Doris taught English at San Andreas and cooked the same way she taught — patiently, with small corrections, and a strong sense of tradition. She always made her shepherd’s pie half ground beef, half ground lamb, and she never rushed it. The smell of rosemary and thyme would fill the kitchen for hours before we even sat down to eat.

I’ve tweaked her version a bit, the way you do when you cook something long enough to make it your own. Felix decided to go heavier on the lamb — whole lamb leg instead of just ground. I like to smoke it Carolina-style, brushed with a little mustard before it hits the heat. If you don’t have a smoker, slow-roast it in the oven until the meat practically falls off the bone. That slight tang from the mustard mixes with the richness of the lamb, and it gives a nod to North Carolina, where I’ve lived for almost a decade now.

Ingredients

For the filling

• 1½ lb ground lamb

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 lamb leg (optional, for slow-cooking or smoking)

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• ¾ cup peas

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

• 1 tsp rosemary, chopped

• 1 tsp yellow mustard (plus more for the lamb leg rub)

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• Olive oil for cooking

For the mashed potatoes

• 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

• 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)

• 6 tbsp butter (add more if you’re feeling generous)

• Salt (enough to make the boiling water taste like the ocean)

• Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the lamb leg (optional but worth it)

Rub the lamb leg with mustard, salt, and pepper. Smoke it low and slow for a few hours, or roast it in the oven at 275°F (135°C) until tender enough to shred. Pull the meat off the bone and set it aside — this will give your pie a deeper flavor.

2. Cook the ground meats

In a large pan, sear the ground lamb and beef together in olive oil until browned and caramelized. Remove excess fat if there’s too much. Add diced onions and cook until they soften.

3. Build the filling

Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and rosemary. Stir until everything’s coated and the tomato paste darkens slightly. Add the carrots, then a splash of water or stock to loosen the mix. Simmer gently until the carrots are tender. Stir in the peas at the end so they stay bright.

Taste for seasoning — it should be bold, savory, and aromatic. Set aside to cool slightly.

Mashed Potatoes

Start the potatoes in cold, salted water — enough salt so the water tastes like the ocean. Bring them up to a gentle boil together with the water (this ensures the centers cook evenly). Once tender, drain and let them sit in the hot pot for a minute so the steam escapes — that’s how you get rid of the water and make room for butter.

Mash the potatoes, then slowly fold in butter first, then cream. Keep stirring until they’re creamy but still hold their shape. Salt and pepper to taste.

Assembly

1. Mix ground lamb, beef, and lamb leg. Spread the meat filling evenly in a baking dish or casserole.

2. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top, smoothing them with the back of a spoon or a spatula.

3. (Optional) Sprinkle a little grated cheese over the top — something sharp like Parmesan or aged cheddar works great.

4. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 25–30 minutes, until the top starts to turn golden and you see some bubbling around the edges.

   
   

   Tips

   
   

   Don’t skip letting the mashed potatoes steam off before adding butter — that step alone changes everything.

   
   

   This isn’t a difficult dish, but it rewards patience. Like Doris used to say, “If you’re gonna feed people, make it count.”