Mince and Tatties (Scottish Ground Beef Recipe) (2024)

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Mince and tatties is simply a Scottish name for ground beef and potatoes. The ground beef recipe includes a tasty gravy. When served alongside fluffy mashed or boiled potatoes, it’s a hearty, comforting dish that’s perfect for colder weather.

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Growing up in Scotland, mince and tatties was a meal that came with the territory, despite having an Italian mother.

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It would be like a Scot moving to Italy and not making pasta, if my mother hadn’t joined the ranks of everyone around her who made this traditional Scottish meal.

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It is a perfect meal for cold and rainy days, which is probably the reason it’s so popular in Scotland!

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For those of you in North America, you may need an explanation for the name of the recipe, but if you have a meat and potatoes lover in the family, you will want to make this asap!

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What is British Beef Mince?

You may already know that ground beef is called “mince” in Great Britain. It’s called this because the meat is minced.

I don’t know about you, but I hate it when ground beef stays in long hard strips in the way it was ground. It always seems more tough, and not as pleasant to eat.I’m a fan of the ground beef from Farm Foods, which only sells grass fed meat from smaller, sustainable farms, and wild-caught seafood. It breaks down beautifully, and I don’t have to fight to break it up as it cooks.

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I’ve loved everything I’ve tried so far including their ground beef, heritage pork shoulder roast, and bacon. It’s a great farm-to-table meat delivery service! Sign up for my free email subscription as I’ll be sending out discount codes if you want to give them a try.

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What are Tatties in Scotland?

Tatties are a nickname for potatoes. Sometimes the word “totties” is also used, but tatties is more common. You can serve mince with boiled potatoes instead of mashing them, as this is probably the most classic and traditional way to serve it. However, I find most people prefer mashed, so that’s what I’ve presented here.

You may have seen the recipe for my potato scones, which are also referred to as “tattie scones”. They’re great with a full Scottish breakfast or fry up, along with square sausage.

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Mince and tatties might be described as a deconstructed cottage pie. It’s essentially the same basic recipe, but assembled differently and not baked (unlike these cottage pie potatoes!) It’s a superb weeknight meal that can be made ahead and just heated to serve. It also freezes beautifully.

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You can add peas right into the mince if you like, instead of serving them on the side. Both ways are acceptable in Scotland. However, if you’re like me, I keep them on the side for whoever wants them because I dislike peas, can you believe it?

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Need a Scottish dessert to end this meal? Check out my Scottish dessert recipes!

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Note: if you know me, you’ll probably be wondering why I’ve got two processed ingredients in this recipe. The main reason is that I use these products so rarely, and they add so much to the end result that I do use them in this dish. I give options so you can skip them, so please just use beef stock if you want to skip OXO and Bisto.

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Mince and Tatties (Scottish Ground Beef Recipe)

Recipe by Christina Conte (as my mother made it from my childhood) serves 4

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Prepare the Mince (Ground Beef and Gravy)

Boil 12 ounces of water, pour into a jug and add the OXO cube or Better Than Bouillon, and stir to dissolve.

Sauté the onion and carrot in a heavy pot with the olive oil over medium high heat until the onion becomes translucent.

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Add the mince, or ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break it up into smaller bits.

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Continue cooking for about 7 minutes, stirring often.

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Pour in the beef stock and stir. At this time, add the Bisto granules and Worcestershire sauce. Add more water if you want more gravy, but adjust the seasoning later.

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Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat so that it simmers gently. Cook for about 20 minutes (or until the mashed potatoes are ready), then taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

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Make the Mashed Potatoes (Tatties)

Put the potatoes in cold, salted water that just covers them. Bring to a boil, then simmer until cooked (a fork is inserted easily). Drain, mash with the butter, then add enough milk or milk and cream until the mashed potatoes are light and fluffy.

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Serve the Mince and Tatties

Spoon a quarter of the mashed potatoes onto each of four plates, then do the same with the mince.

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If desired, serve with cooked peas.

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The Peas can be Served in two Ways with the Mince and Tatties

Alternatively, you can mix the peas into the mince and then serve.

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Serve immediately, and enjoy a taste of Scotland!

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Can I Freeze the Ground Beef and Mashed Potatoes Dish?

Yes, mince and tatties freezes very well. You can dish up individual servings, too. Just put as much meat and potatoes (and peas, if desired) as you like in freezer proof bowls, seal and freeze for up to 2 months.

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Mince and Tatties (Scottish Ground Beef Recipe)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

A traditional, hearty, Scottish recipe of ground beef and mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

Mince

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 lb ground beef, organic if possible
  • 1 Tbsp Better than Bouillon beef flavor or 1 OXO beef cube (or 10 oz beef stock)
  • 1 Tbsp Bisto (beef flavor in red)
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher or sea salt (if needed)
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mashed potatoes (or boiled)

  • 4 large potatoes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 oz (1/2 stick) good quality butter
  • milk or half and half (enough to make the mashed potatoes fluffy)

Instructions

Prepare the Mince (Ground Beef and Gravy)

  1. Boil 10 ounces of water, pour into a jug and add the OXO cube or bouillon, and stir to dissolve. (If using stock, skip this.)
  2. Sauté the onion and carrot in a pot with the olive oil over medium high heat until the onion becomes translucent.
  3. Add the mince, or ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break it up into smaller bits.
  4. Continue cooking for about 7 minutes, stirring often.
    Pour in the beef stock and stir. At this time, add the Bisto and Worcestershire sauce. If you want a thicker gravy, add more Bisto, but remember, you're also adding salt. Add more water if you want a runnier gravy or more gravy, but adjust the seasoning later.
  5. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat so that it simmers gently. Cook for about 20 minutes (or until the mashed potatoes are ready), then taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Make the Mashed Potatoes (Tatties)

  1. Put the potatoes in cold, salted water that just covers them. Bring to a boil, then simmer until cooked (a fork is inserted easily).
  2. Drain, mash with the butter, then add enough milk or milk and cream until the mashed potatoes are light and fluffy.

Serve the Mince and Tatties

  1. Spoon a quarter of the mashed potatoes onto each of four plates, then do the same with the mince.
  2. If desired, serve with cooked peas.
  3. Alternatively, you can mix the peas into the mince and serve this way, also.

Notes

OXO cubes may be difficult to find in the US, however, beef flavored BISTO is readily available on Amazon, Cost Plus, and British shops.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 866Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 1476mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 8gSugar: 9gProtein: 52g

Nutrition information is only estimated.

Did you make this recipe?

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Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Mince and Tatties (Scottish Ground Beef Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

Is ground beef and mince the same thing? ›

Ground meat, called mince or minced meat outside North America, is meat finely chopped by a meat grinder or a chopping knife. A common type of ground meat is ground beef, but many other types of meats are prepared in a similar fashion, including pork, veal, lamb, goat meat, and poultry.

What is minced beef in the UK? ›

Ground beef, minced beef or beef mince is beef that has been finely chopped with a knife, meat grinder (American English), mincer or mincing machine (British English). It is used in many recipes including hamburgers, bolognese sauce, meatloaf, meatballs, and kofta.

What is the history of mince and Tatties? ›

History of Mince and Tatties

Throughout its history, Scotland has experienced periods of economic hardship and poverty, particularly in rural areas. The ingredients for “Mince and Tatties”, mainly ground beef and potatoes, were both affordable and readily available to the majority of the population.

What cut of beef is best for mince UK? ›

The Chuck Steak is one of the best cuts to use for mince because it has great texture & flavour, grinding up perfectly. Enjoy making your favourite Spaghetti Bolognaise, Meatballs, Smash Burgers, Cottage Pies or Chilli Con Carnes for your family.

Why do Brits call ground beef mince? ›

Because it is minced. We use two different words for things that have been minced and things that have been ground. Minced beef is minced, we use a mincer to do this. It is not ground, if it were we would have used a grinder to do that.

What do Americans call mince? ›

In the U.S. we refer to mince beef as hamburger or Ground beef . Many of us just call it hamburger even when we are referring to ground beef that has not been formed into hamburger patties.

What is Hamburger called in England? ›

A patty or burger (in British English) is a flattened, usually round, serving of ground meat or legumes, grains, vegetables, or meat alternatives. Patties are found in multiple cuisines throughout the world.

Why does beef taste different in UK? ›

But by far the most important factor in the taste of beef, the research shows, is the animal's diet. Unlike in America, English cattle are still largely fed on what they would naturally eat - grass and fodder made from it like silage and hay.

What is the difference between US and UK beef? ›

A significant difference between the countries is the age at first calving. In Australia, Canada and the US cows typically first calve at 24 months of age; Ireland 26 months; the UK and France 30-31 months and Brazil 36 months (for Bos Indicus cattle).

What does mince mean in Scotland? ›

(1) as thick as mince, very stupid (Ags., Edb., Gsw., Ayr., Rxb. 2000s); (2) like a pun o mince, (i) very untidy (Ags., Edb., Gsw., Ayr., Dmf.

What is Tatties in Scotland? ›

Neeps are mashed swede or turnips, and tatties are mashed potatoes. Confusingly, people in Scotland refer to what the English calls turnips as swedes, and what the English call swedes as turnips.

What is mince and tatties made of? ›

Mince and tatties is a Scottish dish which consists of ground beef and mashed potato. Other vegetables or thickening agents are sometimes added to the dish as well.

What meat do butchers use for mince? ›

If you've never made bolognese with mince made by an independent butcher, we implore you to give it a go. We use chuck, topside and trimmed brisket with a low fat content to make a top quality mince.

Why is mince cheaper than steak? ›

Tough cuts are cheaper than their tender counterparts so it stands to reason that the most likely cuts a butcher would mince would be the tough ones. Of course, there are exceptions such as butchers who want to offer a particular up – market mince and proudly promote it as such.

What cut of beef does McDonald's use? ›

Every one of our McDonald's burgers is made with 100% pure beef and cooked and prepared with salt, pepper and nothing else—no fillers, no additives, no preservatives. We use the trimmings of cuts like the chuck, round and sirloin for our burgers, which are ground and formed into our hamburger patties.

What is a substitute for mince meat? ›

Tempeh. Tofu's heartier cousin, tempeh, is also made from soybeans but instead fermented into a firm patty. It can often be found in the refrigerated vegetarian section of well-stocked grocery stores. With a mildly nutty taste and hearty texture, crumbled tempeh is a great substitute for ground beef.

What is it called mince meat? ›

Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices, and often beef suet, usually used as a pie or pastry filling. Mincemeat formerly contained meat, notably beef or venison.

How do I mince ground beef? ›

Cut the cuts of beef into 1-inch chunks and place them on a plate or into a bowl, cover them, and put them in the freezer or refrigerator to chill for 15-20 minutes. Run the cold cubed beef through the meat grinder using the medium size dye into another pan.

What is the best cut of meat to use for mince? ›

Beef chuck is a popular primal cut of meat favored for mincing due to its valued protein-to-fat ratio composition. Butchered from the cow shoulder, beef chuck is a tough cut that turns tender when ground or slow cooked, making it a top option for just about any dish that calls for minced meat.

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