Steak Pie

When the weather gets cooler we look for warming things to eat. This steak pie is one that I have been making for a while now, served with some mashed potatoes and steamed veggies of choice. Carrots and fresh beans go extremely well.

It's a recipe that I found in The Woman's Day Meat Lover's Cookbook, one that I bought way back in the early 1980's. My book has lost it's cover now from so much use, but I still refer to it regularly.

The recipe is just chuck steak, onion, tomato pure, salt and pepper, and chopped parsley. Cooked long and slow, it is then thickened, placed in a pot with some pastry on top. I now add some smoked paprika and garlic to the mix to give a new  depth of flavour. Sometimes I make my own pastry, but sometimes I am lazy and just use a sheet of commercial puff pastry. Brushed with beaten egg or milk, then sprinkled with sesame seeds. Yummo on a cold winters night.

A Beef Pie

Time has moved on from my earlier post. My pie mix has been slow cooked, thickened and put into a casserole pot. I then topped it with puff pastry, decorated it, glazed it, sprinkled it with sesame seeds, and popped it into the oven to cook.

I like my pie pastry crisp, so I always use something to lift it off my filling. My Mum always did this, so I do it too. I'm sure my Mum had a pie funnel, but I don't so I make do with what  have. I wonder what happened to hers?

I Googled pie funnels, and yes, they do still exist. I must look for one in a kitchen shop when I'm next in one. I am constantly looking in them and must say I have never spotted one. Maybe an op shop might be a better place to look.

This pot is a little bigger than the one I normally use as the mix was more, so my normal glass egg cup that  I use to lift it up was too small. So instead I used a small, clean, upturned glass jar. Possibly a little too big, but it worked.

My decorations of flowers and leaves were just cut from left over pastry. I've made roses from rolled ribbon many times, so I just made this one from rolled pastry. The leaves were just cut freehand with a knife.

So my pie went into the oven and came out looking like this.

It was hot and delicious, with a hint of spice, and ready in time for dinner.

A Beef Pie - The Makings Of

Going into the pot today we have the makings of a beef pie. We have chuck steak, onions, garlic, tomato puree, fresh chopped parsley from the garden, salt, pepper and enough water to cover.

I have made this pie many times before and it is always delicious. Today I am vamping it up a bit with the addition of some smoked paprika. I discovered smoked paprika only recently and it is a delicious addition to many things, so I am trying it out in this mix.

The mix will take some time to cook, then there is some  procedures to go through before it becomes a pie. Hopefully in time for dinner.