Guinness cottage pie with fresh-ground chuck and cheddar mashed potatoes

Grind the cubed chuck.

Stir the vegetables briefly in the pan with the bacon, about a minute, then add the beef and brown it until no red remains.

Pour off most of the liquid, season with salt and pepper, add a couple tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of garlic.

Stir in tomato paste and let it colour a bit, then sprinkle over about a tablespoon or two of flour and mix in to thicken.

Add a splash of Worcestershire and half to three quarters of a bottle of Guinness, then a teaspoon and a half of concentrated beef stock; add the rest of the Guinness and half a teaspoon of dried thyme.

Cook until neither too dry nor too wet, a minute or so more; taste and add salt and pepper; take off the heat.

Rice the peeled, cooked-soft potatoes; add butter, half and half and SPG until smooth and creamy, then grate in the cheddar; taste and season well.

Scatter a little more cheese over the beef. Fill a Ziploc bag with the potatoes, snip a corner and pipe all over the top in a 12-inch cast-iron pan.

Dust with a little smoked paprika and bake at 350 for about half an hour.