Beef Cheek and Stout Pie with Stilton Pastry

Name: Beef Cheek and Stout Pie with Stilton Pastry
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 6-8
Ingredients: 6 oz. Stilton, or any strong blue cheese, crumbled; 2 2 ⁄ 3 cups flour, plus more for dusting; 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. kosher salt; 1 ⁄ 2 cup ice-cold water; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 1 ⁄ 2 cup olive oil; 5 lb. beef cheeks or brisket, trimmed and halved; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed; 3 large yellow onions, 1 roughly chopped, 2 thinly sliced; 2 carrots, roughly chopped; 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped; 16 oz. stout beer; 3 cups beef stock; 2 bay leaves; 1 sprig rosemary; 1 sprig thyme; 1 cup Worcestershire sauce

Serves
serves 6-8

BILL PHELPS

"If making a pie, one should make it indulgent," says chef Daniel Doherty of London and New York's Duck & Waffle. He follows his own advice for this meat-stuffed pie with a pungent crust.

Ingredients

For the Pastry

6 oz. Stilton, or any strong blue cheese, crumbled
2 ²⁄₃ cups flour, plus more for dusting
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt
¹⁄₂ cup ice-cold water
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the Filling

¹⁄₂ cup olive oil
5 lb. beef cheeks or brisket, trimmed and halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 large yellow onions, 1 roughly chopped, 2 thinly sliced
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
16 oz. stout beer
3 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 cup Worcestershire sauce

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the pastry: Pulse Stilton, flour, butter, and salt in a food processor into pea-size crumbles. With the motor running, slowly add water; mix until dough forms. Flatten dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; chill until ready to use.

Step 2

Make the filling: Heat oven to 375°. Heat 1⁄4 cup oil in a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high. Season beef with salt and pepper; working in batches, cook, turning as needed, until browned, 6–8 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate; set aside. Add garlic, chopped onion, the carrots, and celery to pan; cook until golden, 8–10 minutes. Add beer; cook until reduced by half, 5–7 minutes. Return beef to pan along with stock, 1 bay leaf, the rosemary, and thyme; boil. Cover and transfer to oven; cook until beef is very tender, 2–2 1⁄2 hours. Let beef cool; transfer to a cutting board and shred into bite-size pieces. Strain sauce into a bowl; stir in beef. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a 12" skillet over medium; cook sliced onions and remaining bay leaf until onions are caramelized, about 45 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce; cook until evaporated, 2–3 minutes. Stir into beef mixture.

Step 3

Assemble and bake the pie: Heat oven to 350°. Pour filling into a 2-qt. oval or 9" x 13" baking dish. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 13" x 17" rectangle, about 1⁄6" thick. Brush edges of baking dish with beaten egg. Place pastry over filling; trim excess. Use a fork to press pastry to the edges of plate. Brush top of pastry with egg and cut three slits in the top. Bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Make the pastry: Pulse Stilton, flour, butter, and salt in a food processor into pea-size crumbles. With the motor running, slowly add water; mix until dough forms. Flatten dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; chill until ready to use.
Make the filling: Heat oven to 375°. Heat 1⁄4 cup oil in a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high. Season beef with salt and pepper; working in batches, cook, turning as needed, until browned, 6–8 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate; set aside. Add garlic, chopped onion, the carrots, and celery to pan; cook until golden, 8–10 minutes. Add beer; cook until reduced by half, 5–7 minutes. Return beef to pan along with stock, 1 bay leaf, the rosemary, and thyme; boil. Cover and transfer to oven; cook until beef is very tender, 2–2 1⁄2 hours. Let beef cool; transfer to a cutting board and shred into bite-size pieces. Strain sauce into a bowl; stir in beef. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a 12" skillet over medium; cook sliced onions and remaining bay leaf until onions are caramelized, about 45 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce; cook until evaporated, 2–3 minutes. Stir into beef mixture.
Assemble and bake the pie: Heat oven to 350°. Pour filling into a 2-qt. oval or 9" x 13" baking dish. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 13" x 17" rectangle, about 1⁄6" thick. Brush edges of baking dish with beaten egg. Place pastry over filling; trim excess. Use a fork to press pastry to the edges of plate. Brush top of pastry with egg and cut three slits in the top. Bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.