Beef, bacon and mushroom pie

Name: Beef, bacon and mushroom pie
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 kg Beef chuck steak, diced (Main); 2 tsp Salt; ½ cup Flour; 3 Tbsp Rice bran oil; 150 g Streaky bacon, sliced; 1 Onion, diced; 4 tsp Garlic, grated; 2 cups Red wine; 1 cup Beef stock; 1 cup Water; 400 g Canned tomatoes, chopped (Main); 2 tsp Chopped thyme; 1 tsp Chopped rosemary; 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 ½ cups Button mushrooms, diced; 1 ½ cups Field mushrooms, diced; 3 Tbsp Olive oil; 1 Egg yolk; 375 g Flour; 150 g Cold butter, diced; 1 pinch Salt; 5 Tbsp Water, ice cold

for 6 people

Tam West

Geoff Scott

Chef and culinary lecturer

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Sitting around the family dinner table with a magnificent pie as the centrepiece would certainly be fit for a king or queen. Cutting the hole and breaking through the crust, is guaranteed to get the appetite going. This pie has an old-fashioned shortcrust pie pastry — crisp and tasty and the perfect balance for the rich juicy beef casserole filling.

To achieve the best possible flavour I always recommend making the filling the day before. As the cooked meat cools in the casserole, all those delicious flavours develop and become richer overnight.

Pie filling

1 kg	Beef chuck steak, diced (Main)
2 tsp	Salt
½ cup	Flour
3 Tbsp	Rice bran oil
150 g	Streaky bacon, sliced
1	Onion, diced
4 tsp	Garlic, grated
2 cups	Red wine
1 cup	Beef stock
1 cup	Water
400 g	Canned tomatoes, chopped (Main)
2 tsp	Chopped thyme
1 tsp	Chopped rosemary
3 Tbsp	Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp	Dijon mustard
1 ½ cups	Button mushrooms, diced
1 ½ cups	Field mushrooms, diced
3 Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Egg yolk

Short crust pastry

375 g	Flour
150 g	Cold butter, diced
1 pinch	Salt
5 Tbsp	Water, ice cold

Directions

Heat oven to 150C. Season beef with salt then toss through the flour. Pan fry in batches in hot oil until browned all over, remove and place in a casserole dish.
Fry the bacon then add the onion and garlic, stir over medium heat for five minutes, then add red wine. Boil until reduced by half then pour into the casserole along with beef stock, water, tomatoes, herbs, worcestershire sauce and mustard.
Cover with a disc of baking paper and a disc of foil, press down on to the meat and liquids (this will help trap and develop the flavours as it cooks). Cover dish with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 2 hours. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Make shortcrust pastry by placing butter, flour and salt into a food processor. Pulse until mix resembles fine breadcrumbs, add water and pulse again, briefly. Tip the mix out and bring together to form a dough. Press flat then roll out into a rectangle large enough that two thirds can be used for the pie base and the remaining third for the lid. Rest pastry for 30 minutes.
In a large fry pan caramelise the mushrooms on a very high heat with the olive oil, then add to the cooked beef.
Lightly grease a deep pie dish. Cut two thirds of the pastry to shape and gently press into the dish, and fill with beef casserole mix.
Cut the remaining pastry to form the lid, place on top of the filling, then seal by carefully pressing the edges into the base. Trim off excess pastry then pinch the edge to form a neat pattern all the way around. Allow to rest for half an hour before baking.
Heat oven to 190C. Whisk egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt to make an egg wash. Sparingly brush a thin coat all over the top and edges of the pie. Cut small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Serve the pie with kumara mash, and steamed buttered beans sprinkled with toasted nuts.