Picked up the magazine for the first time this month and have already served this gem twice. One word of warning - the whole process takes a fair amount of time, but the result is excellent. I used valderon cheese when I couldn't get stilton at my local grocer. The filling would probably work great in a shepherd's pie, pasty or just plain stew-format too.
Steak and Stilton Pies
Pungent Stilton cheese and malty stout beer enrich the filling in these classic Lancashire meat pies. This recipe first appeared in our October 2011 issue along with Beth Kracklauer's story, "Butchers' Banquet".
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Credit: Todd Coleman
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup olive oil1 ¼ lb. beef chuck, cut into 1" cubes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large yellow onions, sliced
2 ribs celery, thickly sliced
2 small carrots, thickly sliced
2 tbsp. minced rosemary
1 12-oz. bottle stout beer
¼ cup flour
2 cups beef stock
2 tsp. mustard powder
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
10 oz. mushrooms, quartered
6 oz. English Stilton, crumbled
1 10-oz. package frozen peas
1 14-oz. package puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oil in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper, and cook until browned, 10–12 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Add garlic, onions, celery, carrots, and rosemary to pan; cook until soft, 10–12 minutes. Add beer; cook until almost dry, 18–20 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring, until smooth. Return beef to pan along with stock, mustard, and bay leaf; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, covered partially, until beef is barely tender, about 1½ hours; set aside. Heat butter in a 10″ skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring, until browned all over, about 8 minutes; stir into beef mixture along with cheese and peas.2. Heat oven to 375°. Divide beef mixture among four 6" pie tins (12 oz. each). Roll pastry into a 14" square; cut out four 6" circles. Brush tin edges with egg; place 1 circle over each; press to seal. Cut slits into pastry; brush with egg. Bake until browned, about 40 minutes.
