AG's Steak and Mushroom Pie

[ApathyGates]

Might seem easy...christ it wasn't. Takes a while to prep and execute this - do it on a weekend.

Ingredients (serves 6)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1kg beef chuck steak, excess fat trimmed, cut into 3cm pieces
1 brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbs plain flour
250ml (1 cup) beef stock
1 400g can Italian diced tomatoes
250g cup mushrooms, stems trimmed, halved, thickly sliced
1 375g block frozen puff pastry, thawed (or use the slices premade and join together)
1 egg, lightly whisked

Method
Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add half the beef and cook, uncovered, turning occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until well browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining beef.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft and light brown. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and cook, stirring, for a further 1 minute.

Gradually stir in the stock and use a wooden spoon to dislodge any bits cooked onto the base. Return beef to the pan with the tomatoes and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce heat to very low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Stir in the mushrooms and simmer over low heat, uncovered, stirring occasion-ally, for 45 minutes or until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick.

Transfer the beef mixture to a round, 23cm, freezerproof ovenproof pie dish. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until completely cold.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 30cm square. Cut a 1.5cm-wide strip from the edge of 3 sides. Place strips around edge of the dish, slightly overlapping ends. Cover filling with rolled pastry and use your fingertips to press edges to seal. Trim any overhanging pastry. Brush top of pie with whisked egg. Use a sharp knife to cut 3-4 small slits in pie top to allow steam to escape during cooking. Bake in pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Notes & tips
To freeze (for up to 2 months): Set the pie aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Place in the fridge for 1 hour or until almost cold. Wrap the cold pie tightly in several layers of plastic wrap. Label, date and freeze.
To thaw: Place in the fridge for 12 hours or until thawed.
To reheat: Preheat oven to 180°C. Remove plastic wrap. Bake thawed pie in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until crisp and warmed through.
Serving suggestion: Potato mash and steamed vegetables such as carrots and brussels sprouts.


Now - don't bitch cause I used premade garlic and dried onion out of a packet. I don't have my old garlic press here and I forgot to buy an onion.


After cutting all the chuck steak. Not alot of fat in this, but you can see the small pile I made on the container. Note: Use a sharp knife. I went through 4 trying to get one that was better. I'm buying a new sharpener tomorrow, mark my words.


Start cookin you bastard.


Yeeesss...cook away.


Half done - next half...


After adding the stock, onions and garlic...smells kinda nice...


Beef back in with the tomatos


In go the shrooms - mix it up


Now, here's the base of the pie in the dish. Only dish I had that would fit this in. You might be wondering about the bird....


This chap belongs to Mum. He's designed to get steam escape while cooking the pie.


That's about half way...I took the cover off to let some of the liquid out...was a little too sloppy in my eyes.


Here's the bird in his environment. Smelt bloody awesome.


The lid is on...and egg is brushed on. Time for some oven work.


Finished product.

Conclusion! I rate this 8/10 - needed some spice or something to pep it up. Tomato taste was a little too strong, but overall, a hearty meal to dine in heal with. SPARTA!

[death]

Looks good

[vellanet]

Tried this out today for wifey, came out beautifully, Added Peas, Carrots n Corn but otherwise stuck to the recipe.


Click to view full size!

[ApathyGates]

Looks good with the added vegies. I reckon provided you use the right stock base with whatever meat you have, you could sub anything in. That looks like it's going for a "country" style pie.

[scon]

Be careful when browning the meat like that AG, that meat looks like it's stewing rather than browning, which will toughen the meat and stop you from getting that lovely caramelisation. Use a real onion too!

Other than that, looks alright! I do a similar thing but use a cup of wine in as well plus some bay, thyme and parsley.

[Paul Warren]

I was going to say the same thing about the meat..

Yuu should have your pan up really high and brown off the meat (to seal it)

Don't stew it, or it'll be like rubber.

Make sure you let it rest/cool down too after cooking.

[splbound]

Don't stew it?? For me I see a pie as a thickened stew encased\covered in pastry.

The real important step is getting the meat soft enough, easy with steak, but if you have the time try some beef brisket.

The pie fillings I have made usually involve stewing the brisket until it is literally falling apart after the traditional browning. Low heat in a heavy cast iron pot for a long time 2+ hours.

I use brisket beef with a good mix of fat and meat cut into manageable pieces, depends on how chunky you like it. I also add in onion, mushroom, carrot and peas.

A can of Guiness with some good beef stock is my favorite base. Though I will try my next one with a bottle of red, reduced down and some other stuff possibly beef bone marrow.

If the sauce refuses to get thick enough cornstarch or potato starch mixed with some cold water should thicken it up and should be the last step you do.

[pugsley]

Originally Posted by splbound

Don't stew it?? For me I see a pie as a thickened stew encased\covered in pastry.

The real important step is getting the meat soft enough, easy with steak, but if you have the time try some beef brisket.

The pie fillings I have made usually involve stewing the brisket until it is literally falling apart after the traditional browning. Low heat in a heavy cast iron pot for a long time 2+ hours.

The guys above you were talking about when he was originally cooking the meat. Browning involves getting the meat brown. Stewing comes after this step. The browning adds to the flavour of the dish.

If you look in his 4th pic you can see he has too much meat in the pan for browning as there is too much liquid. Cooking the meat like that can make it tough and chewy.

[Sitting*Duck]

Originally Posted by ApathyGates

I'm buying a new sharpener tomorrow, mark my words.

Consider them marked

Originally Posted by pugsley

The guys above you were talking about when he was originally cooking the meat. Browning involves getting the meat brown. Stewing comes after this step. The browning adds to the flavour of the dish.

If you look in his 4th pic you can see he has too much meat in the pan for browning as there is too much liquid. Cooking the meat like that can make it tough and chewy.

Nothing worse than a really tasty dish being spoiled by tough meat!

.sd

[splbound]

Originally Posted by pugsley

If you look in his 4th pic you can see he has too much meat in the pan for browning as there is too much liquid. Cooking the meat like that can make it tough and chewy.

I see now.

On the other hand. I have seen some people that do not brown the meat, but rely on the caramelisation from frying onions to add the sweetness coupled with a good beef stock.

Either way tender, 'I can pull it apart with one fork meat' FTW!

[yoda123]

Nice work Dion! I'll have to give this a try at some point, going to be pushing it to beat a Pinnacle Pie tho!!