In the Centre #13 | Beef, black bean and pepper pillow pie
AKA a massive Steak Bake
One of my favourite things in life is to action a very specific craving.
Last week (grey, cold, damp, gross) that craving was for a pie with a ridiculously rich filling encased between sheets of puff pastry, and cooked without the support of a dish or tin. In my imagination this free form-style would give the pie the look and gratifyingly soporific energy of a pillow. A pillow pie.
And it did.
Although it also looked a lot like a massive Greggs Steak Bake.
Damn tasty though.
The filling involves minced (ground) beef, cooked until much of it is properly browned and crisp, a healthy half bottle of red, beef stock, bay, loads of peppercorns and other aromatics, and the secret ingredient: black beans — which add to the density and meatiness, without being more meat. You simmer the mince (a ragu?) until the gravy is glossy. thick and envelopes the meat, yet is still loose enough for the mass to move as one when you shake the pan. And then there’s a few other tips and tricks, which are not rocket science, but are too much for an intro and so are in the recipe below.
That’s about it, really. Absolutely brilliant with a sizeable, nose hair stripping blob of English mustard. Plus loads of sautéed greens, a puddle of cheap instant gravy, and some mashed potato.
Marvellous. Everything you need is below. And if cooking and eating according to cravings is your bag too, I’ve an award-winning book for that….
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The Recipe
Beef, black bean and pepper pillow pie
Key to note before you begin:
You need to cook the ragu element well in advance (the night before assembling the pie) so that can completely chill. This is so it’ll be stiff enough for the free form assembly process. As it happens, I suspect it also improves the flavour.
What else? It’s a big boy for sure. So is something you could use to feed family or a few friends coming over for dinner or a weekend lunch — in fact, as much of the cooking is best done in advance, it’s an ideal ‘I’ll just casually bring something awesome out of the fridge and pop it in the oven’ kind of meal. That said, it’s also good as a batch cook thing, as once fully cooked it keeps and reheats well: just slice off portions as and give it a blast in the oven as and when you want it.
And then, as mentioned, when it comes to eating time: mash some potato, wilt some seasonal greens, find the mustard, make an easy gravy. And enjoy!
Serves 6-8
2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
750g beef mince (ground beef)
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp fine salt (plus extra to taste)
350ml red wine
15g butter
1 large (250-300g) onion, finely diced
1 large carrot (150g), in 1cm dice
3 sticks celery, in 1cm dice
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp tomato puree
450ml beef stock
240g-300g cooked black beans
2 bay leaves
Handful thyme
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 x 320g sheets ready rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
For the ragu, use two large pans at the same time to speed things along: one large frying/sauté pan or wok for the meat; and one large saucepan with a lid/’Dutch oven’-style casserole for the veg and to finish.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the first and set it over a high heat. Add the mince, prod and break it up, then season very generously the black pepper and about 1/3 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 12-15 minutes, so any water content is cooked away and the mince gets nicely browned and in parts a bit crunchy. When you’re happy with it, add the red wine and let this bubble and simmer for 3 mins, stirring to deglaze the pan during that time.
Simultaneously, into the other saucepan add another tablespoon of oil plus the butter, the onion and another 1/3 tsp of salt. Cook over a medium heat with the lid on for 12 mins, stirring occasionally to ensure the onions are softening and intensifying, but not burning or sticking. Add the celery and carrot and sauté 3-4 mins more, then stir-in the flour so the vegetables become a bit claggy. Add the pureé and cook for 90 seconds before adding about 100ml of the stock. Stir, ensuring all the flour is nicely incorporated. Then transfer the meat and wine into the pot, plus the rest of the stock, the black beans, the bay, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 45-60 mins with lid slightly ajar, until the sauce is glossy, luscious and much reduced; although should still be loose enough to move as one deliciously sloppy unit when you shake the pot. Remove from the heat and cool completely, ideally in the fridge overnight.
To assemble the pie, line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon mat. Unroll the first pastry sheet onto it. Use the blunt edge of a knife to score a 2cm margin around, then spoon the now stiff ragu on top, right up to the lines. Once levelled out it should be approximately 2-2.5cm high.
Use a rolling pin to lightly press the second sheet so it’s about 1cm larger in each direction. (Either lightly flour your kitchen surface OR… puff pastry sheets are typically rolled around a piece of parchment. So once this second sheet is unrolled, you’ll have two pieces of parchment. Sandwich the pastry between them and roll over the top with your rolling pin until the sheet is ever so slightly extended.)
Brush the uncovered margins of the pastry with a little water, then drape the second sheet over the top, pushing the edges together. Use a fork to crimp (and push those edges together further still). Make two small holes in the top of the pastry, then use the blunt edge of a knife to score a pattern over the top. Carefully slide onto a small baking sheet (if you haven’t done this already). Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.
When ready to eat, heat the oven to 190C fan. Use around half of the beaten egg to generously egg wash the pastry. Cook on the top shelf for 25 minutes. Remove the pie and egg wash a second time. Return to the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes more, until the pie is lovely and golden. Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before portioning.
Enjoy with a big pile of seasonal greens, mashed potatoes, mustard and gravy.
See you next week, Ed.
The ragu should be stiff enough to press into an approx 2.5cm high filling. You might have a little leftover - enjoy it another time with pasta or a baked potato - but you’ll also cram more in than you think.
Roll the second sheet to approx 1cm bigger in all directions. Cover, press, crimp.
Egg wash generously. And twice! Second time around 25 minutes into the cooking process.
My WORD this looks good