Meat Pie

Yield: One 2” deep, 1-” round meat pie

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

 

1 cup chopped 1” bacon squares

 

2 pounds of beef shank, skirt, chuck, or flank, or combination thereof, cut into chunks

 

4 cups onions, chopped

 

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

4 Tablespoon flour

 

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

 

4 teaspoons tomato purée

 

2 teaspoon malt vinegar

 

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

 

2 cups Porter or Guinness ale or substitute with an equal amount of beef stock

 

3 cups beef stock

 

¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

 

2 bay leaves

 

4 cups boiled potato cubes

 

1 cup chopped celery

 

2 cups chopped mushrooms

 

1 cups peeled and chopped carrots

 

 

 

Crust:

 

5 2/3 cups flour, plus extra for dusting

 

2 tsp ground mustard

 

¼ tsp ground turmeric

 

¾ cup beef fat

 

¾ cup butter, grated, plus extra for coating the inside of the the dish

 

¼ teaspoon crushed salt

 

1 cup ice cold water + if needed, tablespoons of cold water

 

2 egg yolks, beaten

 

Crushed rock salt*

 

 

 

Process:

 

Heat the oven to 320°F.

 

Heat a frying pan (do not use cast iron as the recipe contains tomato).

 

When hot, add the bacon squares. Fry until tender crisp, lightly brown, turning occasionally.

 

Remove the bacon and reserve in a bowl large enough to hold the bacon, beef, and vegetables.

 

Drain the bacon grease into a container and reserve. Either add 1 teaspoon bacon grease or grapeseed oil back into the frying pan.

 

Place the beef cubes in the pan and sear on all sides.

 

Remove and reserve with the bacon.

 

Add the onions to the frying pan and sprinkle with salt. Saute until tender crisp.

 

Add the other vegetables.

 

Saute until the vegetables are fork tender or the mushroom (if chosen) begin to sweat.

 

Remove the vegetables to the bacon and beef bowl.

 

Add the butter to the frying pan.

 

When it melts, sift the flour over the bottom of the skillet. Stir until it is golden.

 

Add the tomato paste and vinegar to the roux. Stir to combine.

 

Add the vegetables, beef and bacon back into the skillet.

 

Stir to combine.

 

Pour in the ale and beef stock.

 

Add thyme and bay leaves.

 

Bring to a simmer.

 

Place in a casserole dish, cover, and place in the oven for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

 

Remove the casserole dish from the oven and allow to cool.

 

Reserve in the ice box overnight.

 

 

 

Crust:

 

Sift the flour, ground mustard, and turmeric into a bowl.

 

Grate the butter.

 

Add beef fat to the butter along with 1 beef fat and butter with crushed salt, until completely combined

 

Add fat to dry ingredients.

 

Gradually add up to 1 cup ice-cold water to make a soft dough. If necessary, add cold water by tablespoons until the dough comes together.

 

Wrap the parchment paper around the dough and place it in the ice box for one hour.

 

Heat the oven to 425°F and put a baking tray in the oven. Heavily butter a 2” deep 10” round pie plate and dust well with flour.

 

Remove a third of the dough and reserve.

 

Roll out the remaining dough to a thick round that will easily line the pie dish.

 

Place the bottom crust in the pie plate. It should be slightly larger than the pie plate as the top and bottom crust are to be sealed together.

 

Use a slotted spoon to place the filling in the bottom crust. Spoon any gravy in until full. Reserve any remaining gravy for serving with the baked pie.

 

Roll out the reserved dough until it is large enough to cover the pie, including a lip to seal the top and bottom crusts together.

 

Brush the edges of the bottom crust with the egg yolk.

 

Place the top crust on the top of the pie.

 

Trim the edges, crimp the edges of the top and bottom crust together.

 

Cut slits in the top of the pie.

 

If there is sufficient remaining dough, roll it out and cut into decorative shapes and place on top of the pie.

 

Brush the top with more yolk.

 

Place pie in the oven.

 

Place a baking tray on the shelf underneath it to catch any filling that bubbles out.

 

Bake for 20 minutes.

 

Remove the pie from the oven and apply another layer of egg yolk to the top.

 

Scatter salt* lightly on the top.

 

Return to the oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden.

 

Remove from the oven.

 

Heat up the reserved gravy, if any. Place in a gravy boat.

 

Serve.

 

 

*Similar to sea salt