While The Weather Outside Is Frightful. Guinness Braised Beef Pot Pie.

Guinness Braised Beef Short Rib Pot Pie 

This year it seems that no matter where you are, there's just no escaping winter. I've been back for a bit over 1 month and already I've seen three separate major snow events, less severe than the all out storm according to Topper Shutt. While enough is more than enough, sometimes you just have to give in to reason and common sense by rolling with the hand that is dealt. I figure if winter is still calling, why not meet it head on with a dish fitting the call.

On the menu today: Beer Braised Beef Short Rib Pot Pie

Nothing cures my winter blues more than a one dish meal. I love soup, as it warms the bones to the core but I'm no real fan of crackers floating around in my soup. Besides that, soup is normally not enough for me so I'll add a sandwich to the mix to cure my hunger pangs. Now when I make a Pot Pie, I cure both my need for warming my bones with a velvety stew and my need for something to stick by adding a buttery, flaky and golden crust. Add to both of these the silkiness of a beer braised beef short rib and I would say that you have a meal that will have you embrace whatever weather the rest of the season has in store for you. This meal is made to help you ride out any and every storm heading your way.

As you can see in the picture, there are layers to this crust which makes it perfect for any pie but particularly so for a Pot Pie. Enjoy this and share your thoughts once done please.

Layers Of Flavor

For the crust we will need the following:

• All purpose flour (3 cups)
• Unsalted Butter cut into small pieces (1 cup) 
• Coarse Salt (1.5 tsp) 
• Ice Water (.5 cup)
• Fresh Sage ( 7 leaves) 

Start off by placing the dry ingredients (flour & salt) in a food processor. Add the butter bit by bit as you pulse the food processor to a meal type consistency. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl and drizzle the 1/2 cup of ice water and sage, working the dough to come together. Form dough into a disc (seen below) wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Dough Disc

For the filling we will need the following:

• Boneless Beef Short Ribs (2-3 lbs) 
• Olive Oil (4 Tbs) 
• Red Pearl Onions (5 0z)
• Yellow Pearl Onions (5 oz) 
• Petite Yellow Potatoes (10 oz)
• Carrots (3 oz)
• Celery (2 oz) 
• Peas (4 oz) 
• Garlic (5 cloves) 
• Rosemary (3 sprigs)
• Thyme (4 sprigs) 
• Bay Leaf (2 leaves)
• Sage (4 leaves) 
• Guinness Beer (3 cups) 
• Beef Stock (64 oz) 
• Salt & Pepper (to taste) 
• Heavy Cream (2 Tbs)

Start off by chopping the carrots and celery into like sized pieces (a good rule for size is to cut them so that you can get a bite of each ingredient with each spoonful). Next pour 1 tbs of olive oil into a heated saute pan and add the carrots and celery to slightly brown. Next take them out and set them in a large braising pan or deep baking pan, add the onions to do the same (setting in the same pan). Now add 1 Tb olive oil to the saute pan and add the pieces of seasoned beef (salt and pepper liberally), searing each side until browned. Remove and add to the braising pan. Do the same with the peas and garlic (I add the peas and garlic last to get the flavor of the meat and veggies). *It is key to use the pan without washing it between items as the fond (stuff stuck to the pan) adds flavor to each element. Deglaze the pan with the beer, being sure to scrape the bottom to get the flavor off of the pan and into your filling. Next pour this into the braising pan with the other items for braising. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and in a pot bring 32-64 oz of beef stock to a boil (enough to cover the mixture) before pouring over the mixture. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 1.5 hours - 2 hours. Remove from the oven and contents from braising pan and place in a deep dish skillet or baking dish, being sure to reserve 1 cup of liquid from the braising pan. Add 1 cup of beef stock to the liquid then add roux (flour & butter) to thicken slightly. Add this to the contents of the skillet / baking dish. Now set aside and wait for assembly.

Braised & Fresh Out Of The Oven

The dough is easier to work if it has sat out at room temp for 10 minutes. Work the dough as seen below so that it will fit over the baking dish/skillet with enough dough to crimp (fork the edges) to form your crust. Brush with heavy cream and then cut slits in the crust for venting. Finally place in the oven for an additional 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees and the crust is golden. When done allow the pie to sit out for 5-7 minutes before cutting it and sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt on top of the crust.

Rolled Dough 

Ready For The Oven

Finished Pie 

Vancouver a kitchen and the passion to cook.. Pappardelle, Morels, Lardons in Light Cream

Pasta With Attitude 

If you travel and happen to have a love for food let me suggest that you look for a place that includes a full kitchen. If you do a Google search start off with"hotel room with a kitchen" and then choose the one that best suits your needs. I normally look for one that is centrally located to most of what I want to do and then close to a food market. If I get a room with a kitchen, I don't have to worry about wasting time for breakfast or lunch and can get right to discovering the city instead of sitting at a diner waiting for food to be cooked for me. This means more pictures and fun....

Traveling is fun when for me when I don't bog myself down with too many details or overburden myself with a "to-do" list. Getting a place with a kitchen is a huge money saver for a lot of reasons but I'll list a few just to get you started. 1) I can buy my own liquor, wine, and beer in bulk so I don't need to be a barfly for the entire time that I'm visiting. 2) If I want a midnight snack I don't have to raid the overpriced and often understocked mini bar in my room. 3) I don't need to worry about spending money for 3 meals a day or skipping a meal. And finally, I don't have to leave my room for a day if I want to just stay in and enjoy the room that I am paying for. 

For this we will need the following:

• Pappardelle (8-12 oz)
• Dried Morels Mushrooms (6 oz)
• Heavy Cream (2 Cups)
• White Wine (1 Cup)
• Garlic (2 Tbs)
• Thick Cut Bacon (6-8 strips)
• Watercress (2 oz)
• Pasta Water (As needed to thicken) 
• Onions (2 Large)
• Lemon Oil (1-2 drizzles)
• Butter (1 Tbs)
• Salt & Pepper (To Taste) 

Prep Work 

Start of by cooking the pasta (pappardelle), keeping the pasta water and steeping the dried mushrooms in the hot pasta water for 7-12 minutes and set aside for later use. Julienne the onions and cut the bacon into strips. Next sauté the bacon until crisp then remove adding the onions to cook in the bacon drippings. Finally add the watercress and slightly wilt (2 minutes) when done set aside for plating later. In a sauce pot add the olive oil and garlic to the heated pan to slightly brown. Now add the heavy cream to reduce by half (really thick) and adding the white wine and allowing this mixture to reduce by half as well.

Heat a large saute pan and adding 1 Tbs butter and then the pasta, mushrooms, bacon, onion and watercress mixture. Toss and add the cream (1 cup) and pasta water (1/8 cup) allowing to thicken and coat the mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Plate and add a drizzle of lemon oil on top of the mixture.