Steak & Mushroom Pies

Welcome to part 2 of my Scottish Highland Games dinner. My aim was to mainly cook foods that could be eaten by hand to evoke the feeling of leisurely walking around the events, unencumbered by utensils. Check back next week for the riveting conclusion!

The main course for the meal was a Peckish & Parched mainstay - the meat pie. This time around I used a steak and mushroom filling which allowed for a delectable umami flavor. I still used my ever-true shortcrust pastry dough and it proved, yet again, to be the proper flaky compliment to its hearty insides.

Shortcrust Pastry: A Brief UK History

I’ve already shared history about savory pies in an earlier post, so instead, let’s talk about my shining star - the shortcrust pastry. First off, what the tosh is a shortcrust?! Simple - it’s a basic pastry dough that uses flour, fat (butter, shortening, etc), and water as the main ingredients. The french name for this dough is Pâte Brisée - Brisée means “broken” in French and refers to the broken pieces of fat in the pie crust. It uses cold water to combine the ingredients and has a delicate and flaky texture.

Shortcrust pastry has been traced back to the 11th century as a Middle Eastern invention, however a French chef was the one to document and label the process. It’s thought that this crust arrived in England during the late Medieval period where it was written about in The Forme of Cury, one of the oldest English cookbooks in existence.. This brings us to the 17th century, when British bakers, inspired by their French cohorts, upped the ante on technique and fashionability of their finished products and brought us the beautiful pies that we know and love today.

I spy, with my little pie……

Steak & Mushroom Pies

Eat While: In a rugby scrum.

Pairings: Pint of porter or a glass of Pinot Noir

Dedicated Time: 4 hours

Components:

For the Pie Crust: 

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, chilled and diced

1/2 c (8 tablespoons) shortening, chilled and diced

1/2-3/4 c cold water

Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor. Scatter the pieces of butter and shortening over flour mixture. Pulse until mixture resembles corn meal. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 cup water over the mixture and toss with a rubber spatula until dough sticks together. If the dough is too dry, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time (better that the dough is too wet than dry). Divide the dough in half, form into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours (can chill up to 3 days).  

For the Steak & Mushroom Filling:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 ounces chuck steak, diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 oz mushrooms, chopped

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 c chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon ground thyme

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the diced meat and sear on both sides until crusty and browned (~4 min/side). If pan isn’t large enough for all of the meat, split oil and meat in half and cook in 2 batches. Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet, add onions and mushrooms and sauté, stirring and scraping up the fond (browned bits), until onions are caramelized and edges are browned. Sprinkle flour over, and combine with a wooden spoon. Slowly pour in chicken broth while stirring. Return the cooked meat to the skillet and add thyme, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and cool to room temp.

Pie Assembly:
Preheat oven to 425°F

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and place on a generously floured surface. Roll out one of the disks very thin (~ 1/8-inch thick). For the bottom crust: cut out 4 1/2-inch circles. Fit the dough circles in a muffin tin, leaving the overhang. For the top crust: Roll out remaining dough disk and cut out 3 1/2-inch circles. 

Fill the bottom crust generously with the steak and mushroom filing. Brush the overhanging dough (from the bottom crusts) with water and lay the top crust disks over the filling. Fold the overhang over the top crust and crimp with your fingers to seal. Cut slits in the top of each pie to create vents. Brush top of each pie with the beaten egg. Bake the pies for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake until golden brown (~20 minutes).

*6 pies (2-3 servings)