Thursday, August 6, 2009

Easy As Steak Pie

A few years ago, while I was in Scotland, I had my first taste of steak pie. With its flaky crust and rich gravy, I wondered where this dish had been all my life. It seems that when it comes to meat pies in America, we tend to stick with chicken pot pie. And that’s a shame, because steak pie is very satisfying and a perfect comfort food.

Traditional recipes for steak pie involve browning, flouring, and what not, but I can’t be bothered with that. I created this recipe to get the job done and dinner on the table without too much trouble. Serve this with mashed potatoes and green peas, and you’ve got dinner in no time!


This is all you need to buy!

Steak Pie
4 servings

Ingredients:
2 lbs. Beef round steak
2 packets of Beef Gravy (enough to make 2 cups)
1 sheet Puff Pastry
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups water

Cut the steak into ½ inch cubes. Add cubes to crock-pot along with water and pinch of salt and pepper. Cook in crock-pot on low for 5 hours. (Alternatively you could simmer on stovetop until cooked through.)

With a slotted spoon, remove steak cubes to casserole dish. Make the gravy following the instructions on the packet, substituting the water with the remaining crock-pot liquid. Add gravy to the casserole dish.

Thaw puff pastry according to package directions. (It may take up to 40 minutes, so plan ahead.) Unroll sheet and place over the casserole dish. Trim edges as needed, allowing for some to sit on the edge of the dish. With a knife, cut a slit or two in the middle of the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

To make a more golden brown crust, brush the top of the pastry with an egg wash, (1 egg, scrambled and 1 tablespoon water,) before baking.

Other steak pie variations:

Steak and Kidney Pie: Add one beef kidney to recipe. Wash kidney and remove outer membrane and fatty tissue, halve and remove white tubes, cut into small cubes. Cover with salted water and let stand 1 hour. Drain and cover with cold water and bring to a boil, then drain. Add to the crock-pot with steak cubes and follow the recipe above.


Steak and Onion Pie: Add one sautéed diced onion to the filling.
Steak and Mushroom Pie: Add fried sliced mushroom to the filling.

Steak and Vegetable Pie: Add desired cooked vegetables to the filling. Suggestions: Potato slices, green peas, and diced carrots.

When multiplying recipe or adding ingredients for the variations, make sure to adjust the amount of gravy needed to fill the casserole dish.
 

Steak and Potato Pie

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