Mega Meat Pie
Posted: Friday, January 16, 2009
by Peter Alfieri
Buon Appetito Providence
Take heed, the word "Mega" in the title is there so this recipe is not to be taken lightly. "Mega" co notates big flavor and doesn't refer to a behemoth pie; fear not, this WILL fit in your oven. I'm not quite sure that I can geographically pin-point where this recipe was inspired from. This meat pie resembles the contents of empanadas from Columbia, without the corn based crust; it also has hints of an American Pot-Pie, a hybrid if you will. Hybrids typically contain the best traits and few to none of less desirable ones, hopefully you'll feel the same about this creation. As with most of my recipes, this pie can be made from scratch. If you so choose not to make the pie crust, rest assured you can simply purchase a pre-made one at the market. Whether you purchase the crust or not I think you'll be impressed by this tasty pie!
Difficulty (Scale from 1-10): 7
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients for Meat Pie
15 ounce package of pie crust (or see ingredients & directions below for crust)
5 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 pound of beef for stew (cut into small bite sized pieces)
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups frozen peas (thawed)
1 Vidalia onion chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 egg yolks beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
Ingredients for Simple Flaky Crust
1 cup of margarine or vegetable shortening
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1/3 - 1/2 cup of ice water
Preparation of Simple Flaky Pie Crust
In a large bowl add flour, salt, and margarine (or vegetable shortening). Using a fork, press flour and margarine together until uniform. The margarine-flour mixtures should resemble wet oats. Add 1/3 cup of ice water and form flour into a ball. Be sure not to over-work the dough or it will loose it's flaky properties. you may add more ice water (a tablespoon at a time) if you can not form dough into a ball.
Leave ball of dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, roll dough out for crust. Crust should be 1/8 of an inch thick.
Preparation of Pie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Boil potatoes in salted water until they can be pierced easily with a knife (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and drain.
While potatoes are cooking, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil, beef, crushed red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté until beef is no longer pink. Once cooked, use a slotted spoon and remove beef and put to the side.
In the same skillet the beef was cooked in, add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the existing liquid in the pan. Over medium high heat add the peas, and onion. Sauté until the onions become translucent, remove from heat then put aside.
Mash the potatoes in the same pot that they were cooked in, adding butter, cream, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Mix well, then add pea and onion mixture and mix carefully not to break up the peas.
Line a 9 inch pie dish with the pie crust, then add beef mixture to the bottom. Add the potato, onion, and pea mixture on top of the beef, do not fill above the level of the dish. Next lay pie crust over the top of the filled pie. Use a fork to seal the edges and then brush the egg yolk mixture on top of the crust. Cut 2-3 vent holes in the crust and bake for 30-45 minutes (or until crust is cooked) at 350 degrees F.
Remove pie from oven and cool briefly before serving.
Enjoy your meat pie!
Difficulty (Scale from 1-10): 7
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients for Meat Pie
15 ounce package of pie crust (or see ingredients & directions below for crust)
5 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 pound of beef for stew (cut into small bite sized pieces)
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups frozen peas (thawed)
1 Vidalia onion chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 egg yolks beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
Ingredients for Simple Flaky Crust
1 cup of margarine or vegetable shortening
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1/3 - 1/2 cup of ice water
Preparation of Simple Flaky Pie Crust
In a large bowl add flour, salt, and margarine (or vegetable shortening). Using a fork, press flour and margarine together until uniform. The margarine-flour mixtures should resemble wet oats. Add 1/3 cup of ice water and form flour into a ball. Be sure not to over-work the dough or it will loose it's flaky properties. you may add more ice water (a tablespoon at a time) if you can not form dough into a ball.
Leave ball of dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, roll dough out for crust. Crust should be 1/8 of an inch thick.
Preparation of Pie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Boil potatoes in salted water until they can be pierced easily with a knife (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and drain.
While potatoes are cooking, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil, beef, crushed red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté until beef is no longer pink. Once cooked, use a slotted spoon and remove beef and put to the side.
In the same skillet the beef was cooked in, add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the existing liquid in the pan. Over medium high heat add the peas, and onion. Sauté until the onions become translucent, remove from heat then put aside.
Mash the potatoes in the same pot that they were cooked in, adding butter, cream, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Mix well, then add pea and onion mixture and mix carefully not to break up the peas.
Line a 9 inch pie dish with the pie crust, then add beef mixture to the bottom. Add the potato, onion, and pea mixture on top of the beef, do not fill above the level of the dish. Next lay pie crust over the top of the filled pie. Use a fork to seal the edges and then brush the egg yolk mixture on top of the crust. Cut 2-3 vent holes in the crust and bake for 30-45 minutes (or until crust is cooked) at 350 degrees F.
Remove pie from oven and cool briefly before serving.
Enjoy your meat pie!
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Peter another great dish that I think will be a hit, as it most likley is, with everyone.
Peter,Aside from myself, you are the only other person I know who truly knows how to make a 'short' pie crust. And your mashed potatoes are right on as well!I know this recipe is excellent!Thank you for another goodie
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