Savoury Mince (Irish)

"This recipe came from my grandmother Elizabeth Hagan Millar, from Greenisland, County Antrim," says Irish quilt preservationist and collector Roselind Shaw. "She passed it on to my mother, Kathleen McClintock, who in turn passed it on to me. My mother used to make savoury mince once a week, as I do to this day. Even though I have been to catering college in Belfast and the Cordon Bleu school in London, where I learned many interesting recipes, this simple one is my favourite of all." Bisto, beefy-flavoured "gravy granules" (they actually contain no beef), is an essential of the British home kitchen.

3-4 Tbsp. corn or Canola oil
1½ lb ground beef (750 g)
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 large parsnip, thinly sliced
2 small onions, halved
2 tsp. corn flour
2 tsp. bisto

To Serve:
mashed potatoes or toast

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet, and brown the ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

Add the carrot, parsnip, and onion halves. Add water to cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, adding a bit more water if the mixture dries out.

Stir the corn flour and Bisto into ½ cup (120 mL) of cold water until they dissolve. Add to the ground beef mixture, stir in well, and cook for about 5 minutes more. The finished mince should be like a thick stew in consistency.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

Makes 4 servings.