Talk:Lancashire hotpot

I believe that Lancashire workers used to leave their pots with the local baker, before starting work in the cotton mills, and the dish would cook in the residual heat of the ovens. There are a number of variations on the hotpot theme, one I believe included oysters, as these were once cheap and plentiful. However, the best hotpot is once made from a cheap cut of lamb or mutton (neck end usually) simmered on a low heat for a long time, perhaps with a few sprigs of rosemary to add flavour. A simple dish, but a very tasty one!

Mr Ed

I have never heard of a Lancashire hotpot with beef. It seems unlikely, as Lancashire has been a sheep rearing place for a very long time, but with very few cows. Also all the recipes cited are with lamb. If such a controversy exists, I'd be glad to hear more about it. Any citations? Thehalfone 06:29, 12 June 2007 (UTC)

Why does the "In Popular Culture" section exist on Wikipedia?

And what makes the one reference remaining in this article somehow more relevant than all the others that were scrapped? Merely stating that a band is named for something isn't necessarily of any value, but why is a song reference more "worthy" of being left than the TV and film references that were removed?

It's partly a way renaming the now-banned "Trivia" section. It also serves as a cross-reference for people who look up articles on wikipedia having heard of the subjects in question through non-conventional channels. For example, if "Hot pot" was mentioned in a British song, it would make sense to Brits, but not to many other people. Having a mention like this helps people to ensure they're reading about the right thing. --84.48.45.224 (talk) 15:02, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I agree with the 2nd paragraph (dated 25 July 2008) in reply to the OP paragraph (not dated). I looked up hotpot because they still serve it in the Rovers on Coronation Street. That should be edited, by the way, to say it's still served. In 2014, the hotpot recipe was the subject of a wager with a rival pub in a cricket competition. (That part doesn't have to be included, but that it's still served might be helpful, considering the dish is considered "endangered"). 76.171.86.135 (talk) 07:13, 2 February 2015 (UTC)

Low importance food article?!

I disagree with this. Hotpot is a quintissential food of Lancashire, which, particularly if one considers the county within its historic boundaries, is culturally and historically far more important than its small size would suggest (see Lancashire's wikipedia entries). The county's people have a unique cultural identity, of which their food is an important part. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.30.251.38 (talk) 22:18, 22 June 2008 (UTC)

Lamb

I really don't understand why this article mentions beef. Hot pot is a lamb or mutton or sheep offal dish. There are other beef dishes that are similar but if there aren't any Lancashire sources mentioning beef then I think beef should be removed from the article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.6.190.114 (talk) 17:42, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

I mentioned this 6 months ago and no-one seems to want to defend the idea theat this dish is made with beef. This reference was added by [[1]]. As no-one from this IP has edited in the last 2 years it seems unlikely we will get any feedback from this author. Note that all the recipes mentioned refer to lamb or mutton. I decided to be bold and change it (thought waiting 6 months isn't really very bold!) Thehalfone (talk) 11:14, 3 March 2009 (UTC) (changed error in origional contr. here) Thehalfone (talk) 11:15, 3 March 2009... (UTC)

I'm sure the traditional recipe uses lamb and is topped by potato. I think you can buy products described as "Lancashire hotpot" made with beef or with a pastry top, so I've made a brief mention of this as "modern variants". Hopefully this will stop anonymous IPs adding "beef" or "pastry" elsewhere in the article. -- Dr Greg  talk  23:14, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

On the Beef Controversy

Only from personal experience, but as I grew up in Lancashire, a Hot Pot Supper was a feature of many church social events. It was always the same dish both in and around the Fylde Coast and in the Accrington Area. The dish served was a slow cooked beef and potato pie topped with thick pastry and served with pickled red cabbage. I've come to believe that there are two distinctly different dishes, both named 'Lancashire Hot Pot' a beef and potato pie served in Lancashire, and a Lamb stew topped with potato slices served outside of Lancashire. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.141.16.97 (talk) 12:13, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

There are not two different dishes. The confusion is because it is usually scouse which is served at social gatherings, but in Lancashire, all types of stew (including Scouse) are referred to as 'hotpot', but only as 'Lancashire Hotpot' when in the potato-layer form. The very earliest reference I know of to Lancashire Hotpot (1795 'Annals of agriculture') refers to 'beef or mutton' Glynhughes (talk) 08:53, 17 December 2013 (UTC)