main-meals

Boeuf Bourguignon Rough Puff Cheese Pie

October 04

A twist on the French classic Boeuf Bourguignon baked with a rough puff cheddar pastry lid, these dishes should be on your regular rotation for the darker months.

Serves 4
5h

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150˚C/130˚C fan/300˚F/Gas Mark 2. Place the steak pieces on a plate and pat dry with kitchen paper. Dust each piece in a little flour.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy casserole pot with a lid over a medium-high heat. Add the steak pieces and brown on all sides so they have a deep brown colour. Don’t overcrowd the pot or you won’t get a good colour on the meat so it’s best to do this in batches. With the last batch, add in the bacon and fry until it is sizzling and golden.
3. Using a slotted spoon, remove the steak pieces & bacon and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper. In the remaining meat juices, fry off the onions and carrots for about 6 minutes or until softened and then add the meat back in with the garlic and flour. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring every now and then.
4. Pour in the wine, beef stock and the bay leaf, add the tomato purée and stir through. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper and bring to a steady simmer.
5. Cover the pot and place it in the oven to cook very slowly for 3 hours until the liquid has reduced by half and the meat is incredibly tender when pierced with a fork.
6. Meanwhile, for the pastry, place the flour, salt, butter and gruyere cheese in a large mixing bowl and, using a pastry blender or a butter knife, cut the butter into the flour until you are left with small pea-sized lumps of butter.
7. In a measuring jug, whisk together the egg, vinegar and ice water until combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour & butter mixture and pour in the liquid.
8. Using two large forks, gently toss all the ingredients together until the dough takes shape and begins to hold together. Turn the dough out onto a layer of cling film and wrap. Place in the fridge to chill for a good 30 minutes before rolling out.
9. About 20 minutes before serving, fry the pearl onions and mushrooms in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat with the remaining oil for about 6 minutes until they are tender. Add these to the casserole 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Once cooked, remove the bourguignon from the oven and allow to cool completely.
10. When ready to assemble, preheat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
11. Roll out the pastry to a disc, about 5 mm in thickness, onto a floured work surface. Transfer to a flat baking tray lined with parchment paper.
12. Place the cooled bourguignon in the centre of the pastry disc, leaving at least 4 cm around the sides. Now, lay the thinly sliced potatoes on top of the beef and fold the edges of the pastry inward, over and around the beef and potatoes. Brush the potatoes and the pastry with the melted butter then sprinkle over the grated gruyere, thyme leaves and some black pepper.
13. Bake in a hot oven for 40 minutes until golden brown then leave to cool for 10 minutes. Scatter over the chopped parsley and serve in slices.

16oz chuck steak cut into 3cm cubes

2 tbsp olive oil

2.6oz streaky bacon, sliced

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

1 small carrot, peeled and sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting

9fl oz red wine

5fl oz beef stock

1 bay leaf

2 tsp tomato puree

8 pearl onions or small shallots, peeled

5oz button mushrooms, wiped and left whole

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the rough puff:

5oz plain flour

1 tsp flakey salt

6oz very cold, unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)

1.5oz gruyere cheese, finely grated

1 medium egg

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2.7fl oz ice cold water

To assemble:

3.5oz baby potatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 stick butter, melted

3.5oz gruyere cheese, finely grated

A few thyme sprigs, leaves picked

Good handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to serve

450g chuck steak cut into 3cm cubes

2 tbsp olive oil

75g streaky bacon, sliced

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

1 small carrot, peeled and sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting

250ml red wine

150ml beef stock

1 bay leaf

2 tsp tomato puree

8 pearl onions or small shallots, peeled

150g button mushrooms, wiped and left whole

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the rough puff:

250g plain flour

1 tsp flakey salt

170g very cold, unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)

50g gruyere cheese, finely grated

1 medium egg

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

80ml ice cold water

To assemble:

100g baby potatoes, thinly sliced

50g butter, melted

100g gruyere cheese, finely grated

A few thyme sprigs, leaves picked

Good handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to serve

If you liked this

The dark unctuous nature of a slowly braised pot of beef in silky creamy stout is ideal for dark winter weekends. Baked under a lid of puff pastry, it’s the type of dish that frigid winter walks were made for, served with the windows steamed up, it’s a hot pot that evokes all the Scandi hygge vibes required to cope with the longer hours of darkness. Something to look forward to at the end of the day. Serve the hot pot straight to the table with no more than a clatter of spoons and bowls, maybe some crusty bread to mop up the juices.

main-meals
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Beef Pot Roast

March 24

Pot roasting is a very useful method for dealing with the less tender cuts of meat, such as small lean joints of topside or silverside and blade or chuck steak (look for some marbling of fat throughout and often labeled in supermarkets as housekeeper’s cuts) but rolled brisket is often considered best as it has a perfect fat to meat ratio.

main-meals

Boeuf Bourguignon Rough Puff Cheese Pie

October 04

Method

Ingredients

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