Steak Pie With Scalloped Potatoes

          Steak Pie With Scalloped Potatoes

Instead of a costly rib roast, try this fun spin on shepherd’s pie, where a rich beef stew is topped with a cheesy roof of scalloped potatoes. To save money and minimize waste, purchase both juniper berries and fennel seeds at a bulk store.

Ingredients
Filling

1 large rosemary sprig, cut in 2-inch (5-cm) pieces, plus extra for garnish

1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) juniper berries, lightly crushed
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) fennel seeds, lightly crushed
2 lbs (905 g) stewing beef (such as chuck), cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm)
   pieces
Salt to taste
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
5 tbsp (75 mL) unsalted butter, divided
2 medium onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour
1 container (900 mL) no-salt-added beef broth
2 large carrots, peeled, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 lb (455 g) cremini mushrooms, quartered

Topping
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, about 1 1/2 lbs (680 g), sliced into
1/8-inch (3-mm) thick rounds
2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, melted
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup (175 mL) grated white cheddar (optional)

Directions:
Position rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat to 325°F (163°C).
Make bouquet garni by placing rosemary, juniper berries and fennel
seeds in centre of a triple-layered square of cheesecloth. Gather up
edges to make a bundle and tie with kitchen twine. Set aside.

Pat beef dry with paper towel. Season with salt. Heat oil in a large,
ovenproof pot over medium-high. Add half of beef. Cook, turning,
until browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
Repeat with remaining beef.

Reduce heat to medium. Add 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter. Add onions and garlic. Season with pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in flour to coat. Cook 1 minute. Stir in broth, then return beef to pot (with any juices), carrots and
celery. Add bouquet garni, pressing to submerge. Bring to a boil over
medium-high heat then cover. Transfer to bottom third of oven. Cook
until beef is very tender and sauce has thickened slightly, 2 1/4 to
2 1/2 hours.

Melt remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter in a large frying pan over
medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until
browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For topping, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes
and return to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender
when pierced with a knife, about 2 minutes. Drain well. Transfer to
a baking sheet and let stand until cool enough to handle.

To assemble pie, position rack in centre of oven. Increase heat to
425°F (218°C).

Discard bouquet garni from beef mixture and stir in mushrooms.
Transfer to a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish and spread evenly.
Cover with potatoes in overlapping rows. Brush with melted butter
and season with pepper. Sprinkle with cheese, if using.

Bake in centre of oven until potatoes are golden-brown, 20 to 25
minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before serving. Garnish with rosemary.
Serves 4 to 6

Winery Beef Braised With Roots

Winery Beef Braise With Roots Buy your meat from a butcher and have it cut into 2-inch (5-cm) chunks. Prepackaged stewing beef is sometimes cut in different sizes, adversely affecting the outcome of this braise. Vary the vegetables as you prefer, but cut them all into a similar size. Buy tarragon vinegar, or make your own: bring 1 cup (250 mL) white wine vinegar to simmer, pour onto 8 sprigs or ½ cup (125 mL) fresh tarragon in a heatproof dish, let cool to room temperature, store in jar in the fridge for up to 6 months.   Recipe of Lucy Waverman Ingredients: 4 lbs beef chuck, cut in 2 inch (5 cm) cubes Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tsp chopped thyme 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided 2 cups diced onion 2 tsp chopped garlic 1 cup red wine 4 cups beef stock 1 can tomatoes, crushed 3 tbsp tarragon vinegar 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp sriracha 1 bay leaf 1½ lbs carrots, peeled, about 5 carrots 1 lb parsnips, peeled, about 3 parsnips ¾ lb rutabaga, peeled, about ½ a rutabaga ½ small head green cabbage, core trimmed 2 tbsp chopped parsley Directions: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Season meat with salt, pepper and thyme. Heat 2 tbsp oil on high heat in a heavy Dutch oven. Working in batches, brown meat on all sides, about 1 minute per side. Remove and reserve. Add remaining oil and reduce heat to medium. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in wine and bring to the boil. Add stock, tomatoes, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha and bay leaf. Return to a boil, then return meat to pan. Cover and bake in the oven for 2 hours.  Prepare vegetables while meat cooks. Chop carrots and parsnips on a bias into 1-inch pieces. Cut any larger pieces in half diagonally. Cut rutabaga into 1-inch slices (they will look like half-moons). Cut each half-moon into 1-inch pieces, mimicking the shape of chopped carrots and parsnips. Slice cabbage through the core into ½-inch wedges. Remove bay leaf. Add carrots, parsnips and rutabaga. Cover and cook for 45 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are almost tender. Stir in cabbage. Cover and cook for 30 to 45 minutes more or until all vegetables are soft and beef is fork-tender. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Scatter with parsley. Serves 12