Hidden-Treasure Beef Pot Pies

Time :2 15

Yield :6 servings

Recipe Background

Ready for the most appetizing adventure of a lifetime? Grab all your gear, specifically your most special spoon, and get ready to embark on these Hidden-Treasure Beef Pot Pies. You'll be willing to go over all the rivers and through as many woods it takes to get to these flaky pies filled with a vast assortment of juicy beef and yummy veggies. "X" marks the spot, literally and figuratively, of where all the good things can be found in Hidden-Treasure Beef Pot Pies. And golly, it's 'gooder' than gold!

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more, to taste, for dusting the parchment paper
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 stick unsalted butter cold and cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
3/4 cup cheddar cheese grated
6 tablespoons stout beer such as Guinness®, plus more, to taste
1 large egg lightly beaten
fresh herbs to taste, of your choice, for garnish

For the beef filling:

1 (2 1/4-pound) beef chuck roast trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch-thick pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
kosher salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup stout beer such as Guinness
2 cups water
3 medium leeks white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch-thick pieces
1 pound carrots cut into 1-inch-thick pieces
2 stalks celery cut into 1-inch-thick pieces

Directions

In a food processor, add 1 3/4 cups of the flour and the fine salt and pulse to combine.
Add 1 stick of the cold butter and the cheese to the flour-salt mixture and pulse until it looks like a coarse meal with some pea-size bits of butter.
Drizzle 6 tablespoons of the beer into the dough mixture and pulse to combine. If the dough does not hold shape when squeezed, add 1 tablespoon of the extra beer and pulse to combine.
Pat the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place it in refrigerator to chill until it is firm, for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, add the beef and the remaining 1/4 cup of the flour.
Season the coated beef pieces with the kosher salt and the pepper.
In a Dutch oven or large, oven-safe pot over medium-high heat, melt the remaining butter.
Add the coated beef pieces to the melted butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are browned on all sides, about 7 minutes.
Add the remaining beer and the water to the beef mixture and use a wooden spoon to loosen any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Bring the beef mixture to a simmer, cover, and transfer the Dutch oven to the oven. Braise the beef mixture, about 30 minutes.
Transfer the Dutch oven to a wire rack and add the leeks, the carrots, and the celery to the beef mixture. Return the pot to the oven and continue to cook, about 1 hour.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use the extra flour to lightly coat two additional pieces of parchment paper.
While the beef filling is braising, put six 10-ounce ramekins on the prepared baking sheet.
Place the dough between the prepared pieces of parchment paper and roll it out into a 10x15-inch rectangle.
Cut the dough rectangle into six 5-inch squares and make an X-shaped slit in the middle of each to allow steam to escape when baking.
Transfer the Dutch oven to a wire rack and increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
Season the beef filling with the kosher salt and the pepper.
Evenly divide the beef filling between the prepared ramekins.
Top each of the filled ramekins with 1 of the dough squares and press gently to adhere the dough to the rims of the ramekins. Brush each with the beaten egg.
Bake the pot pies until their crusts are crisp and golden-brown, about 35-40 minutes.
Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the pot pies rest, about 10 minutes.
Garnish with the fresh herbs and serve.