Short Rib Beef Potpie

Beef Wellington Potpie welcomes January in Austin.

January in Austin--usually an oxymoron. We often enjoy highs of 75° during the day and frosty 40° nights. An occasional ice storm may drift through, which gets locals excited about winter. Still, my roses ignore the calendar and refuse not to bloom, and the birds chirp as if it were officially spring. Just saying-- not complaining, as my friend used to say.

Wrapped in dough, brushed with egg wash, and topped with sea salt and cracked pepper,
Beef Wellington potpies are perfect for a winter dinner--even in Austin.

I savor winter's beauty through photos and updates from a few of my favorite blogs and Facebook friends, as they keep me up-to-date on Mother Nature's doings, or share a peak out their kitchen windows on a frigid morning, when schools are, once again, closed. They post pictures of giant snowdrifts covering their cars, along with images of happy kids, bundled up head-to-toe, chasing their excited dog through a horizon of fluffy white snow. It's all so wonderful and photogenic--in January. Come late February, the kids won't consider moving from the warm sofa in the basement, and the dog will have to be forced out to quickly do his business. I comment on their winter posts to keep their spirits up til spring. Then I sip my morning coffee on the back terrace and remember down jackets, winter boots, snow days, and being really cold. You see in Austin you can go from this--

Texas blue sky--almost all year round.

to this in one day.

My little bird bath in the courtyard in a rare Austin snowstorm.

Inspired by all these chilly photos of drifting snow piled high on picket fences and rooftops, and with all that talk of snow boots, mittens, and auto-defrost buttons, January seemed the right time to make potpie. I use my bright red Le Creuset Dutch oven, a Christmas present from years past, for simmered soups and stews. Everything looks enticing in the winter served in red cast iron. December's Christmas catalog from Williams-Sonoma advertised Le Creuset's new aubergine color and had caught my attention. I had been considering a new cast iron saute pan in aqua (obviously during the summer), but aubergine was such a nice winter color. I could change my mind if I find it at the outlet store in San Marcos next month! What really caught my eye was that the Dutch oven was filled with Short Rib Beef Wellington Potpie--I was hooked--on both ideas.

Even without snow, January meals in Austin are heartier, with pot roasts, roast chicken, Hatch Green Chile Stew, Chiles Rellenos and spicy Texas Chile (Bowl of Red) for dinner. This potpie recipe sounded like a perfect winter change up: short rib beef, Proscuitto, mushrooms, butter, red wine, and fresh thyme--how could it possibly not be good!

Short Rib Wellington Potpie recipe from Williams-Sonoma catalog.

I love a good pot roast, but that was not the texture I wanted in meat for potpie. What intrigued me about this recipe was the use of boneless short ribs. Having just made a delicious braised short rib recipe with beef stock and ale, I knew the meat would be fork tender and succulent. The fat did concern me though, so I trimmed most of it off. A lot of it would have melted away into the sauce, but in a modest effort to be more health conscious, away it went. I have since learned not to worry so much about the buttery fat. I trim off the large portions, but allow some to stay for flavor.

Short rib meat is full of deep marbling, which adds intense flavor and tenderness.

Season short ribs well with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

Sear in hot oil on all sides.

All that crusty brown goodness from searing adds flavor to the pot and seals in moisture.
The first time I made this recipe, I trimmed the meat from the bone, then seared.
This time I reversed the process, let the meat rest, then removed from the bones.

Puppy Newt got a few of the trimmings from the rib bones.

While I wasn't left with as much meat as I expected, the trimmed amount from 3 lbs. of short ribs on the bone made for an excellent meat to sauce to vegetable to crust ratio. And, again, don't worry if there is fat in the bites before you cook the meat--it dissolves away and adds unbelievable flavor to the dish.

Sautéed Cremini mushrooms, crispy inexpensive prosciutto,
and seared boneless beef short rib meat ready for simmering
in a well-balanced beef stock and wine sauce.

The combination of proscuitto, beef short rib meat,
and cremini mushrooms add depth and unbelievable flavor.

Frozen pearl onions, peas, baby carrots, and fresh thyme
add color and traditional flavors to potpie.

To make the recipe more to my liking, I added par-boiled small red potatoes, peeled and quartered, and frozen baby carrots. I used beef bouillon paste instead of demi-glace--didn't have any and wasn't sure it was worth the expense. Knorr makes a beef stock paste, which is less expensive and works for this dish. Your choice. I used a $10 bottle of Cabernet Savignon--perfectly fine for braising--not so sure about drinking.

In the same pan you cooked the meat, mushrooms, and proscuitto,
unsalted butter is melted, flour added, and a roux is created
to thicken the sauce of wine and rich beef stock.
All that dark goodness on the bottom (called frond) is flavor, so scrap it up as you go!

Beef stock, and red wine are added to the roux to make the sauce.

The Wellington version of potpie called for puff pastry,
but as you know from reading this blog,
I think Ina Garten has the perfect savory pie crust recipe
(see previous post on chicken pot pie--recipe for pastry at end of post).

A shortening/butter based dough covers the stew for the final baking.
An egg wash adheres the crust to the top and side of the dish and aids in browning the crust.

Brush lightly with egg wash and dust with coarse pepper and sea salt.
I popped a few ready to bake potpies in the freezer, uncooked,
and wrapped well for a possible chilly February night.

Tasty and beautiful, no matter what the filling,
Beef Wellington Potpie is perfect for a January dinner.

If you're in a hurry, use frozen puff pastry or pie dough, but don't forget the egg wash, coarse salt and ground pepper, and a few fun vents in the top, so the crust stays crispy. When you bite into the pie and get a crunch of salt and pepper with each flaky bite, I think you'll be a convert to this flavorful combination. The way I figure it, the crust for these pies is like icing on your favorite chocolate cake! There can never be enough to go around.

ENJOY....and let's all pretend it's winter in Texas. Think I might be inspired to turn on the gas fireplace tonight.

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper glisten on top of Short Rib Wellington Potpie.

Short Rib Wellington Potpie
adapted from Williams-Sonoma.com

3 lb. boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1/4" squares*
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 lb. prosciutto, cut into 1/4" squares*
3/4 lb. cremini mushrooms, quartered
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup red wine
1 1/2 tablespoons beef demi-glace** (I used beef bouillon paste to taste--about 1 tablespoon)
3 cups beef stock
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1 cup frozen baby carrots
8-10 small red potatoes, par-boiled, skinned & cut into quarters
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 sheet puff pastry, 10"-11" square (or substitute pastry from Ina's chicken pot pie--see below)
1 egg, plus 1 teaspoon water, lightly beaten
Coarse freshly ground pepper
Coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Cut beef into 1/4" dice and season with salt and pepper. If using short ribs with bone in, you can trim the meat from the bone or brown on the bone, then dice. Remove as much fat as you like, but remember, it pretty much dissolves into your stew and adds lots of flavor.

In 3 1/2 quart or larger Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Brown beef in batches on all sides, 8-10 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to bowl. Reduce heat to medium. Add prosciutto; cook until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Add to bowl with beef. Increase heat to medium-high; cook mushrooms until tender, about 8 minutes. Add to bowl with beef.

Pour off any excess fat (I didn't have any!). Return pot to medium heat; melt butter. Stir in flour; cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes. Whisk in wine and demi-glace; cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in stock; bring to a simmer. Add fresh thyme, bay leaf, pearl onions, beef, prosciutto and mushrooms. Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover pot; bake until beef is fork-tender, 2 1/2--3 hours.

NOTE: My meat took 3-hours in total to be fork-tender. I added the par-boiled potatoes for the last hour in the oven, so they wouldn't fall apart.)
 
Remove from oven and discard bay leaf; spoon off excess fat. Stir in parsley.

Increase oven to 375°.

Roll out pastry dough (or puff pastry) on lightly floured surface. Since I was using round souffle dishes, I divided my dough into 8 sections and rolled individual tops for the potpies.  Brush edges of the pot you are using with the egg wash to seal the pastry. Press pastry gently around sides and top to adhere to pot and seal. Cut three small slits into top to allow steam to escape. Brush top and sides of dough with egg wash and dust top with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. If you are using puff pastry and Dutch oven for final baking, use a sharp knife to score pastry with diagonal lines 2" apart, forming diamond pattern.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until top is light golden brown and juices bubble through slits in dough. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

If you plan to freeze, place on cookie sheet in freezer until firm. Remove and wrap well with plastic wrap.

When ready to cook, place in refrigerator overnight to thaw. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Since filling is already cooked, thawing assures you won't burn the crust.

*Italian Prosciutto is very expensive, so look at your deli counter for a local version for this dish.
** Williams Sonoma sells several excellent beef demi-glaces, but the less expensive Knorr bouillon paste works well too.

Printable Recipe

Individual servings assure lots of crispy crust for each diner.

Ina Garten's pastry for potpie*

3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup vegetable shortening
¼ pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

*Ina Garten's Pastry for Pot Pie