2017 Cookbook Challenge Week 10 - Meat Pie
This is my china cabinet, with some of my Pyrex collection. Other pieces can be found all over my kitchen. I try to make a point to use as many pieces as possible, so that they aren't collecting dust for no reason.
So far, most of the recipes I've tried have been sweet so I decided to make something savory for this week's cookbook challenge. I chose "Monday-Night Meat Pie", from the cookbook "Pyrex Prize Recipes" published in 1953. I picked up this little book at Goodwill a few months ago as a perfect addition to my substantial Pyrex collection. I like to use as many of my dishes as possible, so this was the perfect opportunity to do that.
This is an interesting little book meant to give cooks ideas on how to use their Pyrex Ware in different ways. I love that it shows some pretty unusual uses for the Pyrex Ware, such using the coffee percolator to cook corn on the cob. I plan on trying those unusual methods, but I decided to keep it simple for my first recipe from this book.
My Pyrex Cookbook with the original price tag of $2.50. I'm happy to report that I paid less than that for the book.
The recipe with a photo of the recommended green baking dish shown.
The recipe suggests that I use Pyrex's Lime Green Baking Dish and since it was a dish I owned, I decided to do just that. The first step was to chop and prepare the vegetables and meat. Their recipe said that you could use canned meat, but I decided that it would be gross, so opted to brown some cubes of beef instead. The recipe called for onion, celery, carrots and potatoes. I added some mushrooms and frozen peas as well.
After chopping up the filling I had to cook it on the stovetop, with some beef broth, until the vegetables were softened. I was afraid the filling might be too watery and the veggies to crunchy, but they softened up nicely and the broth was rich and thick.
While the filling was cooking, I prepared the dough for the lattice strips on top. The dough was pretty simple and made just enough to place on the top of the pie. Since I had already done my first lattice work on my cherry pie a few weeks earlier, this went together quite quickly.
Once the lattice work was on the top, the pie went into the oven for about 40 minutes, until the top was golden brown and the filling was nice and bubbly. As we were eating the pie I realized that I had forgotten the onion. So, the taste was a bit blander than it should have been. I also didn't care for the addition of the celery. I think if I had been using chicken instead it would have been fine, but it just didn't seem to make sense with the beef.
Overall it was very good, but the recipe didn't make a ton so if you were trying to make this for a bunch of people or were expecting days of leftovers, I'd suggest just making beef stew.
Cookbook: "Pyrex Prize Recipes", published 1952
Recipe: Monday-Night Meat Pie
Difficulty: Easy and fast
Alterations: I added mushrooms and peas, but forgot the onions.
Results: Very good. It would have been better if the onions had been added and I would leave out celery unless I was making this with chicken.
Make Again: Maybe, but it was so similar in taste to beef stew so I'd probably just make that.