These are very hearty fare on a cold winter’s day with a glass of Cabernet. They freeze well too. Makes about 12 small pies.
Ingredients
1kg chuck steak, cubed
2 medium onions, sliced
1 ½ cups Yarrh Cabernet Sauvignon
6 gloves garlic, chopped finely
Salt and pepper
Puff pastry (1 sheet will make 2 small pies)
300g bacon, chopped
Plain Flour
1 ½ cups beef stock
Bouquet garni
2 mushrooms, chopped
12 pie cases
Method
Preheat oven to 150ºC.
Fry the bacon over medium heat in an ovenproof casserole pot and remove.
Dust steak with flour and brown in bacon fat in batches and remove. Brown the onion.
Add bacon, steak, garlic, bouquet garni, extra tablespoon of flour, wine, stock and salt and pepper.
Cook uncovered in oven for 1.5 hours. Check every 30 minutes, give the odd stir and add a little water if needed. Baking it uncovered really improves the colour and richness of the dish, but be careful it doesn’t dry out.
Add mushrooms and cook another 15 minutes, then remove from oven. Increase oven to 200ºC.
Using pie cases as a template, cut a piece of pastry for the bottom and sides and one for the top.
Line pie cases with pastry, add filling so it is level with the top.
Brush edges of top with water, place on top of filling and press edges down to join with bottom piece. Cut a vent in the top. Trim edges if desired.
Put pies on a baking sheet (this ensures the bottom pastry cooks and browns) and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. Polish off (oops – I mean share out) the rest of the Cabernet.
FW
Keywords
Recipe
Food and Wine