Your Boring Shepherd's Pie Is Missing A Splash Of This Flavorful Japanese Condiment

What could be more comforting than a shepherd's pie? Ground meat (traditionally lamb, but sometimes beef, although then it's a cottage pie) is mixed with tasty veggies, cooked in a rich gravy, then topped with potatoes to form a pillowy, savory crust. Shepherd's pie was a personal favorite of David Bowie, and if David Bowie liked it, what excuse do you, someone who presumably didn't write "Sound and Vision," have? But we understand that it can get a little samey after a few repetitions, to say nothing of the leftovers you'll have. That's why it's a good idea to jazz things up with a splash of ponzu.

What's ponzu, you may ask? Well, it's a Japanese condiment that's made by simmering a handful of ingredients (including mirin, rice vinegar, and seaweed) before straining and adding the juice of some kind of citrus. It could be yuzu lemon or regular lemon or lime, but what matters is that it's tangy and adds a bit of zing to your sauce. That sauce, in turn, will brighten up anything you add it to, whether you use it as a dip for your sashimi or stir it into your shepherd's pie to deliver some acidity and umami.

If you want to use ponzu sauce in your shepherd's pie the right way, add it while you're cooking the ground beef mixture, the same way you'd employ soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce for an umami boost. That way, the flavors are still present, but they're melded pleasantly with everything else rather than sitting right at the top of your tongue. (As for where you'll get ponzu sauce, you can buy a bottle from Trader Joe's, along with other great Asian-inspired items.)

But what about if you want to go the extra mile and make a Japanese-style shepherd's pie? It wouldn't be the first time Japanese and English cooking has mixed, after all — the dish of nikujaga was inspired by English beef stew. You may want to try a version with Japanese curry, maybe with some Japanese yams in place of the potatoes; you may even want to use regular mashed potatoes, but incorporate some miso into the mash. Just remember that lamb is not a commonly-used meat in Japanese cuisine, so it might be a good idea to use a ground meat base of beef or pork for something like this. We promise that what you lose in "authenticity" (whatever that means anymore), you'll gain in sweet, tangy, savory ponzu flavor.