1 onion
1 shallot
2 cups sugar snap peas
2 large carrots
3 large potatoes
1 bunch oyster mushrooms
4 slices swiss cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon of flour
4 nice beef shanks, about 2" thick (you may use any stew meat, but bones make it much better!)
4-6 big short ribs
Beef stock
Chicken stock
salt & pepper

Prep and cooking time about 5 hours

Preheat oven to 350
In a large dutch over or braiser, brown the meat on top of thestove in one half stick butter and chopped sautéed onion. Use a little olive oil so the butter doesn't burn. Be patient and use medium heat- it should take at least a half hour to brown it nice until it starts to carmelize. Keep scraping the pan with a wooden spoon so nothing burns- if you see black it's too late & the stock will taste awful!

String & chop the peas like this...

Oyster 'shrooms make a nice earthy taste in the gravy! Make sure they are fresh.

Chop your carrots in a thin quarter dice- chop evenly so they all cook consistently.

After the meat is nice and brown, add 1 cup wine and 2 cups beef stock so that it nearly covers the meat. Cover and place in 350 oven for 4 hours. Keep checking and maintaining the fluid level! Notice I threw in a few oxtails this time.

Peel, chop and cook the taters with salt & pepper- I like to add chicken stock to the water as well. Half water and half stock.

Julienne your swiss like this...

Mash a half stick of butter, some heavy cream, the swiss cheese and salt & pepper together. DON'T MAKE THEM TOO THIN!!!

Do it right! Use a real masher and leave a few lumps! This masher was my Mom's.

Enjoy yourself.

Now those are done! You should not be able to pick up anything in one piece.

The bones should have fallen right off.

Throw everything in a big ol' garbage bowl for pickin.

When you pinch it, it disintegrates! But don't pull it all apart- leave it chunky.

Yummy! Try not to eat all of it before you assemble the pie...

Strain your stock...

Chop your shallot...

Sautee with quarter stick of butter & dash of olive oil.

Rough chop the 'shrooms- make it rustic!

Sautee the shallots & shrooms together til they get a little brown. Add salt and pepper.

Don't brown 'em too much.

Add a tablespoon of flour and mix well.

Add stock and a little red wine to make a medium weight gravy- not too thick!

This tastes so good- a slight sheen means you didn't make it too thick.

Put the meat in the baking dish dish first.

Add the gravy...

Microwave these for 2 minutes- they look nicer than boiling them & it's a lot faster.

Add the veggies.

Spoon the taters on top.

Spread them to the edge.

If you do this the top will brown nice and even.

Don't try to make it look perfect!

Salt & pepper the top!

Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes- keep checking it! Soon as it starts to bubble turn on the broiler and WATCH IT until it's perfect.

The cheese in the taters makes a killer crust. Turn on the broiler right when it starts to bubble and WATCH IT!!!

Fresh crusty bread and you-know-what is all you need to go with this tummy-blesser.

Kind of a crappy photo/presentation, but it couldn't wait to get in our mouths for all that. Yum!

Yes it makes a mess!

RECIPE TIP:

Never use anything but hot water and elbow grease on your dutch oven!!!

This is what I call pot lacquer. If you try to get this out with chemicals or abrasives your food will stick to it the next time. Leave it- it is your friend.