Beef Eater Pie Recipes

BEEF POT PIES

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the olive oil in a heavy pot. Sear the meat over medium-high heat in batches until brown, 4 to 5 minutes; remove to a plate.
• Add the carrots, celery and shallots and saute until the vegetables start to wilt, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the mustard, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the flour and saute for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, beef broth and 1 cup water. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir. Bring to a boil. Return the browned meat to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, then cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons flour with a little water and pour into the stew. Cook and thicken for 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry sheets one by one to get rid of the creases. Set a 6- to 8-inch ovensafe skillet upside down on a pastry sheet and cut a circle around it, making it 1/2 inch larger than the dish. Repeat with the remaining 5 skillets using all of the pastry sheets; discard the scraps.
• Put the 6 skillets onto 2 baking sheets and fill the skillets with the cooled beef mixture. Sprinkle over some chopped bacon and 1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley on each.
• Top each skillet with a pastry circle, pressing along the edges to seal. Mix together the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Brush each pastry lid with the egg wash. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

PROPER BEEF, ALE & MUSHROOM PIE

Steps:

• If you're using the porcini mushrooms, cover 10g of mushrooms in boiling water for 20 mins, then squeeze out but keep the soaking water.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large casserole dish, brown 1kg large chunks of braising steak really well in batches, then set aside.
• Add 2 large onions, roughly chopped, and 4 large carrots, chopped into large chunks, to the pan. Add a drizzle more vegetable oil, then cook on a low heat for 5 mins until coloured.
• Add the soaked porcini mushrooms, sizzle for 1 min more, then scatter over 2 tsp golden caster sugar and 4 tbsp plain flour, stirring until the flour turns brown.
• Tip the braising steak and any juices back into the pan and give it all a good stir.
• Pour over 300ml dark ale, 2 beef stock cubes mixed with 400ml boiling water and the porcini mushroom soaking liquid, discarding the last few drops.
• Season the stew, tuck in a small tied-together bunch of thyme, bay leaf and parsley, and bring everything to a simmer.
• Cover with a lid and place in the oven for about 2 hrs, until the braising steak is really tender.
• While the stew is cooking, heat a drop more vegetable oil in a frying pan and sizzle 200g smoked bacon lardons for 3 mins until crisp.
• Turn up the heat, add 200g halved chestnut mushrooms and cook for 4 mins until golden. Remove from the heat and, when the stew is cooked, stir them through.
• Leave everything to cool completely - better still, make this up to 2 days in advance and keep it in the fridge as the pie will be better if the filling is fridge-cold when added. Can also be frozen for up to 3 months and defrosted when needed.
• Make the pastry up to 2 days before you want to assemble the pie. Crumble 650g plain flour and 250g cold diced lard or butter, together with a generous pinch of sea salt until completely combined, then add up to 200ml ice-cold water to make a soft dough. This can be done in a food processor if you want.
• Knead the pastry, then wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hr. The pastry can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge or frozen for up to a month.
• When you want to make the pie, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and place a flat baking tray in the oven. Heavily grease a 24-28cm pie dish and dust well with flour.
• Cut a third off the pastry and set aside. Roll out the pastry to a thickish round that will easily line the pie dish with an overhang, then line the tin.
• Add the braising steak to the dish using a slotted spoon so some gravy is left in the container, as you don't want too much sauce in the pie. You want the filling to be slightly higher than the rim of the dish. If you have a bit too much, set it aside.
• Roll out the remaining pastry to a thick round big enough to cover the dish. Brush the edges of the pastry in the dish with 1 beaten egg yolk, then cover with the pastry lid.
• Trim the edges, crimp the pastry, then re-roll your trimmings to make a decoration, for example, pastry leaves. Brush the top heavily with egg. Make a few little slits in the centre of the pie, place on the hot baking tray.
• Bake for 40 mins until golden. Leave the pie to rest for 10 mins while you heat up the gravy left in the container. Serve the pie at the table with a jug of gravy and a big pile of greens.

BEEF EATER PIE

Steps:

• From a 6 ounce package of onion and garlic croutons, set aside 1 cup.
• In a small bowl, add hot water and 1 egg to remainder of package.
• Stir to combine.
• Press crouton mixture into greased 9 inch pie pan.
• Combine ground beef, cheese, barbecue sauce, egg, onion and croutons.
• Press into croutons crust.
• Place tomato slices on top and bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Top with cheese and bake 2 minutes longer.
• Serve with a salad.

EASY BEEF PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Drain beef, reserving 1/4 cup juices; shred meat with 2 forks. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper; cook and stir until tender, 1-2 minutes. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds longer. Remove from heat; stir in beef and reserved juices., Unroll 1 pie crust; cut in half. Layer 1/4 cup shredded cheese and about 1/3 cup beef mixture over each crust half to within 1/2 in. of edge. Fold crusts over filling; press edges with a fork to seal. Place on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining crust and filling., Bake until golden brown, 15-18 minutes. If desired, serve with queso dip. Freeze option: Freeze cooled pies in a freezer container. To use, reheat pies on a greased baking sheet in a preheated 350° oven until heated through.

BEEF & BEER PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200.C.
• Saute onion & bacon until onion softens & bacon is cooked, set aside.
• Add mince to pan and cook until browned, add mushrooms and cook until soft.
• Return onion & bacon to pan and add flour, cook stirring for 3 minutes.
• Add wine & beer & simmer until most of the liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency.
• Add worcestershire sauce & parsley.
• Spoon mixture into individual pie dishes, cover with pastry, (brush with egg or milk if you like) & bake about 20 mins or until pastry is well risen, golden & crisp.
• NB/ If you choose to make fully enclosed pies, pastry top & bottom, allow mixture to cool before spooning into pastry otherwise it will become soggy.