Steak and Ale pies are a mouthful of flavors and great comfort food. Easy to make when using pre-made rolled pie dough which is lower in fat and lean cuts of beef. They can be kept refrigerated and eaten cold for lunch or reheated for dinner.
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the pastry:
Purchase ready to bake pie dough in a box which has two rolled pastries ready to use. While this is not the original hot water crust used for a traditional pie, the saturated fat content is drastically lower and fits into a low fat diet. The taste is still wonderful.
For the filling:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon low fat stick margarine
1/2 pound beef eye of round (no bone and fat trimmed)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled cut into bite size pieces
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3/4 cup dark English ale such as Bass, or a Porter beer (drink the remainder while cooking)
1/2 cup beef stock, low sodium
1/2 teaspoon thyme, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon rosemary, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions for the pie filling:
Combine the canola oil and low fat stick margarine in a heavy Dutch oven, or skillet which can be placed in the oven, and heat on medium heat.
Add the beef and cook, turning often until meat is brown on all sides.
Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.
To the same pan, add the garlic, onions, carrots and cook until onions are soft.
Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and stir to mix well.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir well until all flour is mixed. Cook a couple minutes than add the ale and stir until mixture thickens.
Add the beef back to the pan along with the beef stock and spices (type, rosemary, salt and pepper)
Cover with a lid and simmer 45 minutes. Remove lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes until mixture thickens. The mixture should not be runny.
To prepare the crust:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with a rack in the center of the oven.
Lightly spray 4 individual ramekins with canola oil
Roll out the dough so it is large enough to cut 4 individual circle pie coverings, and place it in the pan allowing the edge to hang over.
Put a piece of parchment paper in the each ramekin pan and your dough weights on top to keep dough from puffing up as it bakes.
Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes and then remove the weight and parchment paper. Poke a few fork holes in the bottom of the crust and continue baking for up to 5 minutes. The crust should be a golden brown.
Remove the crust from the oven.
Filling and Baking the pie:
Fill the cooked crust with the beef filling.
Roll the other pie dough piece so it is large enough to fit over the top of the pie.
Brush the edges of the pie crust with a bit of water.
Place the uncooked pie crust on top of the filling, fold over and crimp edges.
Poke a 4 small slits towards the center of the top dough to allow steam to escape.
Bake approximately 20 minutes until pie crust is golden brown.
This dish is great with some steamed broccoli, or a spinach salad with your favorite non-fat dressing. Serving size is 1 individual ramekin pie.
Enjoy
Cook's Notes: The remainder pies are wrapped in freezer safe wrap and kept in the freezer for one of those nights when I do not want to fuss with a new meal. They will keep frozen for a few months. Just remove, put on baking sheet, cover with foil and reheat in a 350 degree oven.
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