Beef, black pepper and black bean 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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