Oh Pie Goodness!

You are looking at my Beef Stew Pie. Lucious, comforting, flaky, filling, warming, etc. I essentially cooked a near-clone of my grandmother's beef stew, and poured it into a homemade hot water crust. Heaven on plate.

As with nearly all of my recipes, it is important to be organized and prepared by having ingredients ready to go before you need them. It also helps ensure that the cooking process is uninterrupted.

I started with two pounds of stew meat* and made sure that all chunks were the same size for even cooking. I seasoned with salt, pepper, and added four tablespoons of flour.

*You could use a more expensive cut of meat, but this cooks for hours and the meat will fall-apart tender regardless of what meat you use.

I heated two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and seared the beef in two batches until it was browned on all sides, and then removed the it to a bowl.

I added two tablespoon of butter to the oil and added the chopped onions, carrots, and celery. I cooked it until the vegetables began to brown and soften, about eight minutes. I only seasoned with salt and pepper at this point.

Next, I added six minced garlic cloves and cooked for another minute.

Any excuse to open a bottle of wine, right? I deglazed the bottom of the pan with one half cup of red wine, scraping up the bits on the bottom. I cooked until it was reduced by half.

I added one tablespoon each of brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste, plus I added back in the meat, two tablespoons of chopped fresh thyme, two fresh bay leaves, two more tablespoons of flour, and more salt and pepper.

Once I stirred to combine, I added two cups of beef stock and the secret ingredient, just under a bottle of dark stout. I also added the diced potatoes at this point.

Once it was combined and came to a boil, I put on the lid and placed the entire pot into a 325 degree oven and cooked for two hours. The moment of truth.....

I separated the meat and vegetables from the braising liquid and set both aside to cool while I made the hot water crust.

I made a hot water crust because I needed it to be sturdy enough to hold up to the meat and vegetables. A standard pie crust would have fallen apart. I combined one and a half sticks of butter with three-quarters of a cup of water and heated until boiling. Off the heat, I added almost three cups of flour, salt, and then stirred until it started to come together. I kneaded it on a floured surface for a few minutes until it was smoother and more elastic. I wrapped it in plastic and allowed it to rest for thirty minutes.

I cut off two-thirds of the dough, rolled it out to one quarter inch thickness, and lined the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. I used a few scraps where there were holes.

I filled to the brim with the cooled stew. (And if there is extra stew, refrigerate or freeze it and enjoy it another day!)

I rolled out the remaining dough for the top crust. It definitely does NOT have to be perfect.

I cut a slit to vent, brushed with egg wash, and sprinkled on salt and pepper. I popped it into a 400 degree oven for twenty minutes, turned down the heat to 350 degrees for another thirty minutes, and then back to 400 degrees for the final ten minutes.

No problems removing the sides from the springform pan! And then the moment of truth.....cutting into it. Would it fall apart? Would it stay together? I was nervous!

SUCCESS! The crust was perfect, and because the filling was removed from the braising liquid, it was not mushy or watery, yet the meat was fork tender and the vegetables were perfectly cooked!

FYI, I took the remaining braising liquid, reheated and cooked it until reduced and thick. I checked it for seasoning and it was the best gravy! (If it gets too thick, just add more beef stock until it reaches the desired consistency.)

For dessert, I was intrigued to try Ree Drummond's Saucepan Chocolate Cookies. Making the cookie dough in a pot on the stove just sounded fun and easy. Did they turn out? You decide. (Click the link to see her recipe.)

I melted butter and then off the heat, I combined with brown sugar and powdered sugar.

I then added vanilla, one egg, chocolate chips (milk and semi-sweet) and stirred until combined. The final step was to add the flour, baking soda, and salt.

The recipe makes twelve cookies if you use approximately one tablespoon of batter. I added more chocolate chips on top of each cookie. Then into the oven for twelve minutes (I rotated the pans one time) and then allowed to cool.

So soft and gooey! Perfection!

I had some vanilla ice cream in the freezer so I opted to make Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. The cookies were still soft and chewy, but firm enough to hold up to the ice cream. Perfect ending to a perfect dinner!

Now I am off to plan next weekend's St. Patrick's Day dinner. Should I stick with traditional? Should I step out of the box? Should I do both? Stay tuned!