Meat Pie

This is definitely a whole greater than the sum of its parts.   We are getting "Petite Sirloin" steaks at cheap prices.  A couple of those would work.  If you use less than a pound and a half of meat, reduce the wine accordingly.  I've been making this for years, and it never disappoints.  A garlic clove or two would not be amiss.

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Beef Pie

Cut 1 – 1½ pounds of lean chuck or round (can use sirloin) into cubes.  Blend ½ cup flour with salt and pepper and ½ t. dry mustard and ½ t. paprika (can used smoked).  Dredge the meat in the mixture.

In a skillet, brown meat on all sides in 2 T. bacon drippings, butter or oil or a combo thereof.  Add 1 ½ cups red wine and heat to boiling.  Turn the meat/wine mixture into a baking dish.  Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the toughness of the meat.  Cook until very tender.

Add to the pot some frozen (6-8 oz) pearl onions, 1 cup of frozen peas and ¼ lb. sautéed mushrooms.  Stir 2 teaspoons cornstarch into ½ cup sour cream.  Uncover the baking dish and combine the vegetable and sour cream mixtures with the meat. 

Either prepare a pie crust recipe and use ½.  or take a Pillsbury (for example) pie crust (in the dairy section) and unroll.  Thaw first if frozen.  Cut a few slashes in the crust to allow steam to escape, then fit over the top of the baking dish, fluting the edges.  

Bake at   400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is nicely browned.  Serve at once from the baking dish.  Makes 4-6 servings. 

Serve with a green salad.      

Made it tonight in the kitchen with no sink, at least no functional sink.  Long story.  Alas, a whole quart of rancid bulgar wheat that expanded into a blockage down the garbage disposal.  Stoopid!!! 



Beef pie was delish.  Sooo good on this cold winter football Sunday.   Served it with a nice salad of lettuce, spinach, cherry tomato, cukes and avocado.  We always eat our veggies!  

 

The New Year Lurches In Like A Zombie

Recovering from houseguests. Laundry. Leftovers. Lethargy. The 3 L's? After the laundry comes the ironing of napkins and pillowcases. Sheets can tend to themselves.

What is better than a meat pie? I had LOTS of leftover pork tenderloin. Cut it into bite-sized cubes, browned in butter with some scallions and garlic, sprinkled with flour and roast-beef seasoning (go figure) and added some stock mixed with a bit of white wine. Tossed in lots of chopped parsley and a couple big spoonsful of sour cream. Stir like crazy. Tossed in a bit of leftover rice since I had no potatoes, and a few cooked baby carrots and some frozen peas. Put a Pillsbury ready-made pie crust on top and cooked in a hot oven until the crust was brown.

We ate it last night and tonight. Yum!

Today was the day to exchange some presents at Macy's. I have to tell you that if everyone in the city and suburbs of Boston bought a bra and some panties at Macy's in South Shore Plaza, there would still be plenty for the people in Providence. Sheeesh! Never have I seen so much underwear, so many pj's. People, there are also a lot of really ugly clothes out there. Kohl's had some in the kids dept. and Macy's had some in the women's dept. Ugly. Ugly. Probably everyone could buy something ugly and the store would still have . . . well, you know.

We had a frugal lunch at Au Bon Pain. I noticed with sorrow that the tarragon chicken sandwich was not on the menu, nor was the Florentine tomato soup. Alas, alas. S.O. had broccoli cheddar soup and I scarfed down a spicy tuna sandwich. Lunch for two for $13.00 with lemonade is not bad. Some places a glass of wine would cost that much.

Hit the Body Shop for soap and foot cream and other sundries. The Body Shop rocks.

On the Scottish Highland Cattle front, the young black bull is gone, which must mean the freaked out pregnant cow is in residence. I fed them yesterday--three bags of fruit and veggie scraps. The grapefruit rinds from 4 people filled a whole bag.

I made apricot bars today. Hope they aren't overly sweet like the last batch. Current recipes can way overdo the sugar.

Promiscuous Mode received another rejection today. I am back in my drug lord's head, which is not a bad place to be as he daydreams of Cali and Cartagena.

Onward,



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