British Bites
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[Photograph: Sydney Oland]

About the author: Sydney Oland lives in Somerville, Mass. Find more information at sydneyoland.com (or read eatingnosetotail.com)

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beef stew meat (such as chuck, short rib, or sirloin flap), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
  • 2 medium white potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (about 3 cups)
  • 1/4 cup stout
  • 1/2 pound stilton, crumbled
  • 1 recipe pie dough
  • 1 egg, beaten

Procedures

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400[°]. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large stainless steel skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add meat and cook without moving until well browned on first side, about 4 minutes. Flip with tongs and continue cooking until well browned on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer meat to a large bowl and set aside.

  2. Return skillet to medium-low heat. Add butter and heat until melted. Add onions and thyme and cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until onions have softened, about 10 minutes. Add diced potatoes and stout and cover skillet with a lid. Cook until potatoes are soft, about 8 minutes. Add potato mixture to reserved meat and allow to cool to room temperature then add crumbled stilton. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  3. Roll pie crust to 1/4-inch thickness and using a 4-inch round pastry cutter, cut out as many circles as possible. Gather scraps and press into a ball. Re-roll pie crust and cut out more circles. You should be able to get 8 circles total. Divide filling evenly between the crusts. Brush edges with beaten egg, then fold over crusts and seal with a fork. Place pasties on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Brush with remaining beaten egg , then using a sharp knife cut a few air vents in the top of each pasty. bake until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Allow to cool for five minutes, then serve.