Escape the chill with this hearty Beef and Vegetable Pie with homemade Sour Cream pastry. Use up any leftover pastry by cutting it into shapes to decorate the top of the pie. Or try using your favourite beer instead of red wine. This Beef and Vegetable Pie is great served with mashed potatoes.
Beef and Vegetable Pie Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1.8kg beef chuck steak, cut into 2-3cm cubes
1⁄4 cup flour
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 celery stalk, finely diced
400g mushrooms, quartered
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs, plus extra, to garnish
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup red wine
3 carrots, cut into chunks
1 cup beef stock
Mashed potato, to serve
Sour Cream Pastry
3 cups plain flour
240g salted butter, cut into cubes
1⁄2 cup sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten, plus extra, for glazing
Method:
Preheat oven to 170°C. Place beef into a large bowl, sprinkle over flour and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large cast iron oven-proof pan over a medium-high heat. Cook beef, in 2-3 batches, for 3-4 minutes or until seared and brown. Remove beef from pot and set aside. Add remaining oil to pot.
Cook onion, garlic and celery for 2 minutes to soften, then add mushrooms. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden. Add bay leaves, thyme and tomato paste, and toss to combine, then add red wine.
Return beef to the pot and add carrots. Pour in stock and bring to the boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2 1⁄2-3 hours, stirring half way through. Cook until meat is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Allow meat mixture to cool completely before encasing in pastry. If possible, cover and chill in the fridge overnight to allow the flavours to develop.
Meanwhile, make the sour cream pastry, place flour into a food processor bowl. Add the butter, then pulse until butter is well incorporated. Add sour cream and egg, then pulse until mixture just clumps together (you may need to add 2-3 teaspoons of chilled water to help bind).
Turn dough out onto a floured bench top and gently knead. Divide dough into 1⁄3 and 2⁄3 portions, then form into 2 flat round discs. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to rest.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a deep pie dish, measuring 23cm x 4cm. Lightly flour a clean bench top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the 2⁄3 portion of the dough to about 0.5cm thick, ensuring that it is large enough to fit the base and sides of the pie dish. Spoon the chilled beef mixture into the base. Roll out the remaining dough, large enough to cover the top of the pie.
Brush the edges with egg wash and place on top of the pie. Gently press to adhere. Trim edges with a sharp knife. Gently crimp the edges to seal. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash. Using a sharp knife, cut 4-5 slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
Garnish with extra thyme. Serve with mashed potato.
SMART Tip:
Use up any leftover pastry by cutting it into shapes to decorate the top of the pie. Instead of using red wine, try using your favourite beer.
