Receta Pie Friday: Steak and Gorgonzola

by Fiona Young-Brown

No sooner had Pie Friday been established in our house than a chaotic sequence of events conspired to prevent the enjoyment of pie for several weeks. Luckily, order has been restored and last week I made a pie. A manly pie. A pie of strong rich flavors. A pie not for the faint of heart. A Steak and Gorgonzola Pie. Flaky layers of puff pastry engulfing a rich Guinness-based combination of steak, veggies, and cheese. A pie for the ages. Steak and Gorgonzola Pie ¼ cup oil (I used GMO-free soy)1 lb. chuck steak, cut into cubes (Tip: don't buy it already cut into chunks and prepackaged. It's cheaper to buy a steak and cut it yourself, plus you can choose a better cut.)3 cloves garlic, chopped2 red onions, sliced2 sticks of celery, slicedAbout a dozen baby carrots, cut in half. (Regular carrots are fine but I wanted to use these up._2 tsp basil1 12oz can Guinness¼ cup flour2 cups beef stock2 tsp mustard (I like a nice grainy one)1 bay leaf1 tbsp. butter8 oz. mushrooms, quartered6 oz. Gorgonzola1 pack frozen peas1 sheet of puff pastry1 egg, lightly beaten Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium high heat. Add the steak and a little salt and pepper. Brown the meat for 10 minutes or so and then remove from the pan. Put the garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and basil in the pan and cook for about 10 minutes until the celery is starting to soften. Pour the Guinness into the pan. Cook until the liquid has been reduced to suit your preference. If you prefer a more soupy, liquidy, pie filling, cook until the volume is halved. If you prefer a thicker filling, cook until the liquid has nearly all gone. You can choose to use a different liquid (beer, more stock, water), but the stout gives a strong earthy flavor. Stir in the flour. Add the stock, mustard and bay leaf to the pan along with the cooked steak cubes. Allow to simmer over a low heat for 1 1/2 hours.  Preheat oven to 375F. Near the end of the pie filling's cooking time, heat a little butter in a skillet and cook the mushrooms until they are browned. Add the cooked mushrooms to the beef. Also stir in the peas and crumble the cheese into the mix.  Pour the pie filling into a large, deep pie dish and cover with the puff pastry. Cut a few slits into the pastry and brush with beaten egg. Bake 40 minutes.