Beef Pies

While my nephew and I were busying ourselves with the Banana Cake, I also had the pressure cooker on the stove simmering up some delish beef for some Beef Pies. Again the recipe was off another blog (http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au) and it came out well. I wiped up the gravy with some croissant and it was so favourable...of course I am certain it helped that I was generous with the Red Wine!! The pie topping was different as it had mashed potatoes in it and so it sort of crumbles in your mouth...really nice!


Beef Filling Recipe
1kg beef, diced (we used round steak)
1-2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups (500ml) red wine
2 cups (500ml) beef stock
1 bay leaf
Salt & Pepper

Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Brown about one third of the beef at a time so as not to overcrowd the pan. Set browned meat aside.

Add onion to the saucepan and saute until softened. Add garlic and flour and cook for a minute, stirring and scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and return beef (and any juices) to pan.

Cover saucepan and reduce heat. Simmer for about 1 ½ hours until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. If the filling mixture is too liquid toward the end of the cooking time, uncover the saucepan to reduce the sauce.

Remove bay leaf and transfer filling to a pie dish (about 1.5 litre capacity), or a number of small ramekins if you would prefer individual pies (pictured above).

Roll pastry out between sheets of baking paper. Cover pie/s and trim excess pastry.

Brush pastry with egg and make a few slits in the top of the pie/s. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.

Potato Pastry Recipe
200g self-raising flour
150g butter
200g mashed potato, cooled
Pinch salt
Beaten egg, to brush top of pie

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Rub in butter, add potato and mix until pastry forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Note: I added extra garlic, loads of coarsely ground black pepper, some cubed carrots and some green peas for colour actually! And since I had some extra mashed potato I threw that in as well....also this dish has a thick sauce sort of like a nice well simmered stew and would have tasted fab just with a side of soft rolls and some sauteed veggies.