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Mince and Tatties is the epitome of Scottish comfort food. Classic staples of the region and prepped are cooked without fuss to create a from-scratch meal any time of the week.
It’s hard to pinpoint the first written recording of Mince and Tatties. Many sources say it became more popular in the 19th century, but it is hard to know where that claim is sourced from. Looking at the dish itself, it is easy to understand why this combination of minced meat and potatoes caught on. Minced meat was an economical way to get your meat, as it utilized cheaper, tougher cuts of meat. Potatoes have been an efficient and quick way to get nutrients without having to process them like you had to with grains.
This recipe starts with a base of onions and carrots. Once softened, the ground meat is added. Ground beef is the first go-to for this recipe, but it is a recipe of economics and allows for flexibility. Other ground meats like pork, turkey, venison, and lamb are all A-okay to use.
After cooking the ground meat, a bit of flour is added. This flour acts as a thickener, giving the mince a gravy with a nice body. Next, other enhancers like tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and beef stock are added. Everything is brought to a boil and reduced to a simmer, cooking until the liquid reduces.
While the onions and carrots are cooking for the base of the mince, go ahead and make the tatties. Bring the potatoes to a boil. Once the fork-tender, drain the pot, add the potatoes back in, and mash the potatoes as is, letting the steam escape from the potatoes. Next, the butter and heavy cream are mashed into the potatoes alongside salt and pepper.
Whether you serve them on top of one another or side by side on the plate, these Mince and Tatties are amazing regardless of how you serve and eat them!
The mince is super complex in flavor thanks to the vegetables, thyme, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.
Even though the potatoes are simple, they are simple for a good reason. The rich and flavored gravy of the mince is balanced by the creamy, neutral base of the potatoes.
It’s more savory than an American Sloppy Joe and less spicy than an American chili. The Mince and Tatties recipe sits in a perfect middle ground. It can hold its own with its array of complex herbaceous and savory elements.
What makes Mince and Tatties so great is that this dish isn’t too intense in any single flavor, allowing for a variety of people to appreciate and enjoy this meal!
Mince and Tatties
Yield(s): Serves about 4
20m prep time
40m cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
For the Mince:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, lamb, venison, or turkey
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups low-sodium beef stock
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
For the Tatties:
- 2 pounds yellow or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
To make the Mince:
- In a large saucepan, melt butter and sauté onions and carrots until slightly soft, golden, and translucent, about 8 to 9 minutes on a medium heat.
- Add in ground beef, breaking it up with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper, cooking until the meat is browned, about another 6 minutes.
- Add in thyme and flour, and stir to combine. Let the flour cook with the vegetables and meat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and beef stock, stirring well to combine.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid has reduced to a thickened gravy, about 15 to 25 minutes.
To make the Tatties:
- While the onions are sautéing for the mince, start cooking the potatoes. Add potatoes to a saucepan filled with heavily salted cold water and bring to a boil, cooking until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot, setting the pot over a low heat.
- Mashed the potatoes by themselves, letting the steam and moisture escape from the potatoes.
- Add in butter and heavy cream, alongside salt and pepper. Keep mashing until the butter is melted and everything is uniformly combined.
- Portion the tatties on top of a plate or in a bowl and then pile on the warm, just cooked mince. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook and BBC Good Food.