English Steak and Mushroom Pie

     I cooked so many of these steak and mushroom pies while I was a chef at an English Pub.  I also made a similar entree, Steak and Kidney Pie.  English meat pies are definitely some fine comfort food! 
     The Steak and mushroom pie in the pictures is a free standing pie that was made with a popring mold.  You can use a conventional pie tin to make this recipe too.
     I did bake this pie a little bit on the light colored side.  This was the first time that I have made one of these pies in a quite some time.  The dough was fully cooked, but this entree looks a little bit better when the crust is a light brown color.  I just figured that I would pass this information on, so that you can make a better steak and mushroom pie.    
     Pate Brisee Recipe:  (Pie dough)
     Place about 1 cup of flour into a mixing bowl.
     Add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt.
     Add 3/4 tablespoon of sugar.
     Rice the flour by adding a few drops of ice water at a time while stirring with a whisk.  (The flour should look like grains of rice.)
     Cut 1 1/2 ounces of unsalted butter into pea size pieces and drop them in a bowl of ice water.
     Gently add a few pieces of the chilled hard butter at a time to the riced flour.
     Work the dough lightly with your fingers and for a minimal period of time leaving exposed small pieces of butter.
     Chill the dough till it becomes very firm.
     Roll the pate brisee into 2 thin sheets on a floured counter top, when it is time to assemble the pot pie.
     Steak and Mushroom Pie Filling Recipe:  Slice a 5 or 6 ounce piece of beef steak into bite size cube shaped pieces.  (Top round steak, chuck steak or sirloin steak is good for this recipe.)
     Slice 5 ot 6 mushrooms into wedges.
     Heat a saute pan over medium, medium high heat.
     Add 4 pats of unsalted butter.
     Add the beef and mushrooms.
     Saute the beef and mushrooms, till they become browned all over.
     Sprinkle enough flour into the pan while stirring to soak up the excess grease and to form a pan roux.
     Stir till the flour combines and it is smooth with no lumps.
     Add 2 cups of  beef broth while stirring, to form a thin gravy.
     Reduce the gravy, till it becomes a medium thick consistency.
     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Add 1 small pinch of marjoram.
     Simmer for a few minutes over medium low heat.
     Remove the pan from the heat.
     Allow the beef and mushroom mixture, cool to room temperature.
     Steak and Mushroom Pie:  Line a small buttered pop ring pan with a thin sheet of pie dough.  Trim the edges.
     Spoon the steak, mushrooms and gravy into the pastry lined pop ring mold.
     Reserve any extra gravy for later in the recipe.
     Cover the top of the pie with a thin sheet of pie dough. 
     Trim the edges.
     Press the two pie dough sheets together around the edge of the pie and press a fork on the sealed edge to decorate it.
     Brush the top with egg wash.
     Cut two small slits on the center of the top of the pie.
     Cut a mushroom shape out of the excess dough and set it on the vent slits, partially covering them.
     Brush the decorative pie dough mushroom with egg wash.
     Set the steak and mushroom pie on a baking pan.
     Bake in a 350 degree oven, till the crust is golden brown.
     Place the pie and pop ring mold on a plate.
     Remove the pop ring mold and the pop ring mold base.
     Pour the reserved gravy through a fine mesh strainer onto the plate around the pie.
     Serve with asparagus spears and thyme butter carrots.
     Delicious!  When the pie is cut open, the aroma is wonderful.  The steak is tender a the gravy has a rich mushroom flavor.  This is some great English comfort food cooking!  ...  Shawna