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Shakespeare's Steak Pie

Source of Recipe

From "Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook" by Diane Mott Davidson


Recipe Introduction

"Even though steak-and-kidney pie is the traditional English dish, members of our family vehemently vetoed the kidneys. An all-steak pie was the result. Alas, this ended up being an expensive recipe. Because tenderloin cooks so quickly and is easily overcooked, it is imperative that you purchase a good meat thermometer so that the beef is cooked to an ideal medium-rare temperature."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
◦ 1 medium or � large onion, chopped
◦ 1 medium carrot, chopped
◦ 2 cloves garlic, crushed through a press
◦ 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
◦ 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
◦ � teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
◦ � teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
◦ � teaspoon crumbled dried sage
◦ 1 � teaspoons salt
◦ � teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
◦ 2 � pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed (about 2 pounds after trimming), cut into 1 �-inch cubes
◦ Upper Crust Pastry (recipe follows)
◦ � cup best-quality dry red wine


Recipe

In a large saut� pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, and parsley and gently saut� for a moment, stirring until the vegetables are well mixed. Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is limp and translucent and the carrot has lost some of its crunch, about 10 minutes. Uncover the pan and set aside to cool.

Place the flour, thyme, oregano, sage, salt, and pepper in a large, heavy-duty zippered plastic bag and mix well. Add the beef to the bag, zip the top closed, and shake until all the cubes are evenly covered with the dry mixture.

Butter a 9-by-12-inch oval gratin dish. Place the floured cubes into the pan along with the saut�ed vegetables, mixing very lightly with your hands, just until the vegetables and meat are evenly distributed. Place the filled pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the crust. (Or you can cover the filled pan with plastic wrap, place it in the refrigerator, and chill until you are ready to prepare the crust and cook the pie. If you do this, bring the meat and vegetables to room temperature before proceeding. It is best not to prepare the crust in advance.)

Preheat the oven to 350� F.

Pour the wine into the pan of meat and vegetables. Gently fit the dough over the pan as directed in the pastry recipe. Carefully insert a meat thermometer through a slash in the crust, making sure it spears a piece of beef. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the meat thermometer reads 125� F for medium-rare. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 large servings






❧ Upper Crust Pastry:

◦ 1 large egg, beaten
◦ 1 tablespoon milk, preferably whole
◦ 1 � cups all-purpose flour
◦ � teaspoon salt
◦ 6 tablespoons (� stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

Measure out 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg and set aside. Beat the milk into the remaining egg.

In a food processor, combine the flour and salt and process for 5 seconds. With the motor running, drop in the butter, one piece at a time. Add the egg-milk mixture to the processor and process for a few moments, just until the dough pulls into a ball. Gently flatten the dough and place it into a rectangular jumbo-size (2-gallon) zippered plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry to the edges of the bag, or until it will fit over your pan.

Open the bag at the zipper and, using scissors, carefully cut down the sides of the bag. Flute the edges of the pastry and slash the center in three places to vent. Using a pastry brush, paint the reserved tablespoon of beaten egg on top of the pastry.