A Pint and a Pie

I recently taught a class on English Pub Grub. In researching recipes for it I discovered that both hamburgers and, of all things, Buffalo Wings are standard pub fare these days as are the more expected Cornish Pasties and Fish and Chips. I wasn’t surprised to find a number of Indian dishes on the menus — the British have become notorious for their love of Indian.

I started the class with Chicken Tikka Masala, which some claim is now the English National Dish. I don’t know if that’s true, but I did find it on several menus and it seemed like a good starter.

The pièce de resistance was the Steak and Guinness Pie.

Bangers and Mash is one of the more famous pub dishes, and although I couldn’t find genuine bangers here in Knoxville some research showed that bangers are not particularly different from a mild Southern country sausage so I used country link sausage. Then I added horseradish to the mash (as a good English friend had taught me) and added onion gravy. I also made beer and cheddar soup at the suggestion of another British friend.

But the pièce de resistance was the Steak and Guinness Pie. Traditionally the dish is made in an ordinary pastry crust as a true pie or individual pies. But I took a note from Jamie Oliver and topped it with puff pastry. I’m going to have to make this again.

Steak & Guinness Pie
Serves 6.

1 lb sirloin steak — cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 – 4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 lg onion — cut into large dice
2 md carrots — peeled and cut into 1/4″ rounds
1 lg stalk celery — cut into 1/4″ half rounds
1 lg parsnip — peeled and cut into 1/4″ rounds
1 tsp dried thyme
12 oz. Guinness
15 oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained (reserve liquid)
Salt and pepper
1 pkg puff pastry
1 egg

Generously season meat with salt and pepper, then toss with flour to coat.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, reserving browned meat on a plate and adding a bit more oil if needed.

Reduce heat to medium and add more oil if needed. Add and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Add carrots, celery, parsnips, and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently for five minutes. Add any remaining flour and cook another 2 minutes, stirring. Increase heat to high, add Guinness, and bring to a boil, deglazing pan, then add tomatoes and return meat to pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 30 minutes. If sauce is too thick add reserved tomato juice or water.

Cool filling to at least room temperature to minimize the pastry becoming soggy — better if you can chill it. And better yet if the filling can be refrigerated overnight, which allows the flavors to thoroughly meld.

Heat oven to 400F. Thaw pastry according to package directions.

Scoop the filling into a 2 quart casserole dish. Beat egg and brush edges of casserole with egg. Place the pastry over the dish, it should overlap, and lightly press edges to seal to casserole. Brush pastry with remaining egg and cut a couple of slits in the top to vent.

Bake in center of oven until the pastry is browned — about 40 minutes.

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | pub food | casserole | english | pot pie | beef | main dish

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