Well wasn’t this just a simple little bundle of flavour packed goodness. Hearty, succulent beef chunks, slow cooked with earthy portobello’s, big chunks of sweet carrot and a rich gravy, laden with seeded mustard. Let us not forget the golden, butter puff topper that soaked up all the gravy with every tasty morsel. This was literally……easy as Pie!
You could definitely cook this in the slow cooker for around 6 hours on low. Don’t forget to brown the beef first and reduce the stock to 1 cup. You can also make one big pie but I love serving dishes like this individually. You can buy ramekins like this at most department stores and kitchen shops.
Prep time: 20 Minutes Cooking time: 2.5 Hours $ Low Budget
Serves 4
Olive oil for frying
1kg of chuck steak, cut into largish 3cm chunks
2 tbs of plain flour
1 large brown onion, halved and sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into decent sized chunks
250gm of portobello mushrooms, halved and thickly sliced
8 thyme sprigs, leaves removed and stalks discarded
200ml of good red wine
11/2 cups of beef stock
2 tbs of seeded mustard
2-4 sheets of butter puff pastry (2 if using a large casserole, 4 if individual)
2 free range egg yolks, beaten
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Steamed greens to serve
Place the flour on a plate and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the beef chunks on the flour and toss with your fingers to coat, shaking off any excess flour.
Heat a large frypan and add the oil (a couple of good tablespoons should do to start). Fry the beef chunks in batches, until really golden and caramelised as this will definitely add to the flavour of the pie. When all of the beef is cooked add it back to the pan with the onion, thyme, carrots, mushrooms and red wine. Allow the wine to reduce a little before adding the stock and mustard and stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to come back to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Tear off a piece of baking paper and place it on top of the beef. Tuck the sides down so it is nice and snug and then place on a tight fitting lid. Simmer for approximately 1.5 hours or until the beef is meltingly tender, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Remove the lid from the beef and if it looks a little thin, allow the mixture to reduce for another 10 minutes with the lid off. Have a taste of the gravy and adjust any seasoning if needed.
Place a ramekins upside down on a sheet of pastry and run your knife around, about 1cm from the edge. This way you can crimp around the edge of the pastry and tuck the sides down. Divide the beef mixture between the ramekins or spoon into a large pie dish and top with the pastry. You can use the leftover pastry to decorate the top of the pie or make little extra rounds to dip in to the pie. Brush the top of the pastry generously with the egg wash and use the tip of your knife to puncture the pastry in 3 or 4 places. This allows the steam to escape. Bake in the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve with a side of steamed greens.