Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Beef Pot Pies
I can only share the pre-baked and post-baked pictures with you - the pies were eaten before I could get a picture of the filling.
Adding cheese to the pie crust made a big difference in the flavor of this southwestern flavored beef filling (it was stew yesterday), but I think next time, I'm using 2 different kinds of cheese - a really sharp cheddar and the pepper jack again - with more chopped jalapenos. The crust was good, but a touch on the bland side.
The filling, just imagine it since I didn't get pictures, was packed with meltingly tender cubes of beef that started as a rump roast, seasoned with a mirepoix of onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. To this was added 3 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed, 2 pounds of carrots, cut in half moons, 1 pound of corn kernels, 1 pound of petit diced tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce, 8 ounces of chopped jalapenos, thyme, oregano, basil, sage, bay leaves, mixed peppercorns, parsley, and a generous splash of Maggi.
That simmered until it was tender and yummy, then served up with a sourdough rye bread and sweet butter. It was devoured by several young men who just happened to drop in - friends of the family.
Fortunately, they left enough of the stew to make those pot pies.
I made the stew specifically for turning into pies, as I wanted to test a cheese based pie crust for savory pies.
Now, I have to make another pot of stew so I can fine tune the pie crust recipe.
