I’ve always assumed it’s just one of those dishes that has variations on a theme across UK and Ireland, since the introduction of potatoes. It certainly has no regional connotations here.
Thanks to all who responded. The book in question was Frederick Forsyth’s Icon and the exact quote (which I should have checked) was “Lunch was a kind of minced lamb covered in a potato crust. His hosts called it shepherd’s pie and soaked it all in a spicy black sauce”. So, soaked, not poured, but pretty much the same thing. I’m thinking some kind of blood sauce as several others have suggested and which I probably won’t be pouring on my shepherd’s pie in future.
As to the origins of the dish, A quick check of easy resources (Yahoo, Wikipedia, couple of cooking sites) shows all say something like “Shepherd’s Pie probably originated in Scotland and in the north of England”. The question was really whether some traditional ingredient had been left out of the American version. If the ingredient in question is blood sauce, I think I’ll just stay with Tabasco.
“Put.” Nothing can be “poured” if it’s so thick that you ever have to spank or squeeze the bottle to get it out.
It’s a delicious - carry-able - dish that a shepherd could bring with him in the morning - out to the meadows with the sheep - and perhaps finish up before sunset.
I could eat one every day. I’ve not tried - but I approve of Tabasco sauce on top.
I’m Irish, yet I made this several times for my Irish mum. She’d probably not approve of the Tabasco, however.
I am totally making this for the New Years feast, here in Rossiya!
S novym godom! (Happy New Year).
My immediate thought was HP, my kids like tomato sauce (ketchup) on theirs I prefer HP.
Given the original quote, it could just mean gravy that’s baked in with the whole thing, not something put on top at all.
Lamb?? 
Yeah I love mince lamb but so many people make it with beef, still yummy but!
Or mutton? You can’t even get mutton in America!
In the UK we’d call the beef version ‘cottage pie’.
Well, I’ve never heard of blood sauce. If I google the term (or even blood gravy), it just sends me to American recipe sites, so you can’t blame the British for that one.
A lot of people here would add a few splashes of Worcestershire Sauce in the dish for a bit of spice.
Given the original quote, this would be my first thought as well. One would pour on the HP just like one would pour ketchup over fries in the US. The term “pour” does not necessarily imply “douse”. It can just mean liberally apply.
Mutton has been a staple of Kentucky BBQ joints for generations. You can even find it on the menu at Arthur Bryant’s in KC.
It would be very unusual to apply HP liberally to shepherd’s pie. It’s strongly flavoured and would completely overwhelm the shepherd’s pie, to the extent of making it inedible if applied liberally.
Why do some Americans think Brits use blood in everything? It’s only used in one type of sausage that’s also traditional in several other countries. Blood sauce (which I have also never heard of before) is not an ingredient in shepherd’s pie.
I was gonna mention that–particularly the Owensboro area of Western Kentucky and I’ve seen it just across the border in Evansville, Indiana, as well. You can also sometimes find it at Halal butchers, although whether it’s lamb or mutton is not always clear. That said, it’s generally not easy at all to find in the US. Even plain ol’ lamb can sometimes take digging, especially if you’re looking for a cut other than chops or leg.
How many is some? I’ve never heard another American say anything like that. Our stereotypes of what you eat run more towards that you have fish and chips or tea and crumpets at every meal.
I agree. If it’s a stereotype, it’s not a particularly known one. I think many Anericans would be aware of black pudding but, beyond that, I don’t think its a known association. In my neighborhood, blood is more associated with Polish food (blood sausage/kiszma, and duck blood soup/czernina) and some Asian cuisines.
Why does it even have to mean that? To me, you could “pour” even what amounts to a few drops. If you pick up a container, and tip it so that some of the contents spill out, that’s “pouring.” Isn’t it? What else would it be?
I could eat some кишка (kishka). It’s all but impossible to find good blood sausage in the area. I may end up biting the bullet and driving a couple hours over to Parma OH, where there is a large Ukrainian population, to stock up on kishka, salo, and other delicacies for the holidays.
Drizzle? Dabble? Sprinkle? Shake? Pepper?