Pies are always a great way to fill up hungry people – especially growing boys! The first time I made individual pies, my two boys worked their way through half of them in one sitting! From then on, we experimented with different fillings, from curry chicken to Moroccan lamb, and all sorts of versions of the beef one. Up until I did this slow cooked brisket one, the favourite seemed to be chunky beef and mushroom, especially if it had bacon in it as well. However, I am suspecting this new version might give the current favourite a nudge off the ladder!
Pies filling – brisket is wonderful.
Brisket is a fantastic cut of meat. Yes, I know, it’s not one that people usually buy. And that maybe because it takes a bit more cooking time than just a piece of steak. So, rub it all over with some barbecue spices and pop it in the oven overnight. You’ll never look back. Alternatively, I have a pressure cooker which does it in 70 minutes. It literally falls apart! And the gravy you can make with the juices is completely out of this world. Sometimes, when I have too much liquid left in the pressure cooker, I’ll reduce it down. Then it can go in a small container in the freezer. Perfect for using in a rich risotto, with mushrooms! Yum.
Slow-cooked Beef Brisket and Tomato Pies
Ingredients
- 600 grams pulled beef brisket – see recipe for Beef Brisket in red wine herbs and chilli
- 5 tablespoons tomato relish or smoky tomato pizza sauce
- 4 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry
- 1 cup grated cheese – this is optional but really delicious if you do use it!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to moderately hot – about 190ºC.
- Mix the pulled beef and the relish together really well. Add more relish if you think it is too dry.
- Thaw the pastry, and grease a 12 hole muffin tin really well. Cut 12 circles of pastry about 11 – 12cm in diameter, and 12 small circles about 5 cm.
- Line each hole with the larger circles, pressing gently down so that it sits neatly on the bottom.
- Divide the filling between the 12 pies, and then top with grated cheese. Finally pop the smaller circle on top, brush with beaten egg or milk and bake for 25 minutes until golden and crispy.
How can you serve them? You can have them with mashed potato, steamed vegetables or a summer salad. Our boys favourite was to have hassleback potatoes, super crispy, with them. Now they are adults, they love pairing some of their father’s home brew beers with them. A whisky infused stout was the latest thought! Personally, I like a Tasmanian Pinot Noir with them, but I’m slightly biased.
Check out why I’m biased by having a look at this link.