Savory and Sweet Pies
Beef filling
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
Flour (Just a few spoonfuls to thicken)
1 can stout beer (I used a local Oregon brewery, but
anything not too bitter is great. I tend towards a sweeter stout!)
2 potatoes, diced small (I like Yukon gold, but you do you)
2 sprigs of thyme
Brown sugar to taste
Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper
Balsamic vinegar (again, I used a locally made bourbon-cask balsamic,
but I don’t imagine that makes a big difference)
Beef filling instructions: Brown the ground beef in a
pan. Once it is done, drain off most of the grease (I left a little because it’s
tasty!). Add a little bit of flour to the remaining grease and the beef and
move it around in the hot pan to evenly spread it and toast the flour a bit. Add
the can of stout and bring it up to a simmer. Add the potatoes and thyme and
let it all simmer until the potatoes are tender. While the potatoes are
cooking, this is the time to build the flavor of the sauce. Add the Worcestershire,
brown sugar, balsamic, salt & pepper, and balsamic. All of this is to
taste, so keep tasting until you have the balance of sweet, savory, and bitter
that you like. Once the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened, take
out the thyme and take the filling off the stove. This is a good time to take
the pie crust out of the fridge, if you’re lazy like me, and let it
come to room temperature. Otherwise, I GUESS you could take out your fancy
homemade pie crust, if you’re better than me (which we both know you are).
Apple filling
Ingredients:
Apples (duh)
Sugar (about ½ cup for 2 cups of sliced apple)
Cinnamon
Ground ginger
Ground nutmeg (optional)
Apple filling instructions: Cut the apples into
fairly small pieces. Place them in the
saucepan and sprinkle the sugar on top. Place the pan on medium-low heat and stir
occasionally until the apples start to release liquid. Once there is a decent
amount of liquid in the pan turn the heat down to low and add spices. I like
nutmeg, but some people find it overwhelming, so season to taste. Allow the
mixture to cook on low heat until the apples are tender but not mushy. Let the mixture cool before filling the pies.
Assembly
Ingredients:
Pie crust – I bought mine, don’t judge me. I have never made
pie crust, and I’m not about to start now. I bet this would be amazing with
homemade pie crust, but I am lazy.
1 egg
Assembly instructions: The store-bought pie crusts
come in circles, which is perfect for our purposes. Lay the crust out and pinch
shut any breaks or tears in the crust. Now cut the crust into 4 pieces, like a
big pie. You should end up with 4 wedges of crust for each pie circle, big ol’
90-degree arcs. Once the filling is cooled down, put a big spoonful of filling
on each piece of crust. I use approximately 2 tablespoons of filling for each
slice. Fold each piece over to form a “pie slice” shape. Use a fork to press
all along the edges of the pie slice, sealing all gaps and making sure the
pieces stick together. Use a knife to cut a few small slits in the top of each
piece to allow the filling to vent. Beat the egg and brush the egg across the
top of each piece. For the apple pies, sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top. Now they’re ready to go in the oven! I have found that 23
minutes is the perfect amount of time, but this may vary based on your crust.
Sauces
Creamy lemon dill sauce: Combine plain yogurt, crushed
garlic, dill (fresh is better but dried is fine), salt, pepper, and the juice
from half a lemon. This sauce is better if it sits at least an hour before
serving.
Cranberry sauce: Combine 4 cups of cranberries, 1 cup
of water, and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan. Place on medium heat until it comes
to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer. Add a peeled piece of ginger and a
few cinnamon sticks. Simmer until the cranberries burst. Remove the ginger and
cinnamon sticks and chill the sauce. Serve cold.