Mexican Pulled Pork Shepherd’s Pie

Method

1. The day before, thaw pulled pork under refrigeration at <40°F/4°C or lower.
2. Preheat the convection oven to 325°F/165°C.
3. Chop pulled pork into bite-size pieces. In a large mixing bowl, combine chopped pork, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, thawed corn, salsa, garlic, chili powder, and cilantro. Transfer mixture into a greased 2" deep insert pan(s) and pat down with a spatula to ensure an even surface. One full-size (12" x 18") pan yields 16 servings.
4. Prepare mashed potatoes (25 servings of shepherd's pie requires 3.125 L/12 1/2 cups of prepared mashed potatoes). Prepare the potato pearls according to the recipe standard or alternatively prepare mashed potatoes from fresh potatoes. Pour hot water into a 6" deep steam table pan. Add dry potato pearls an stir for 15 seconds. Let stand for 5 minutes, stir, and hold until the next step.
5. Top the meat mixture with prepared mashed potatoes and spread using a fork, creating a wave pattern. Alternatively, pipe whipped potatoes on top of the prepared meat mixture and pipe in a line.
6. Place in preheated oven and bake for ~ 45-60 minutes until the potatoes are light brown and an internal temperature of 160°C/71°C held for at least 15 seconds is reached.