I made this up and it ended up being great!
- Carbohydrate 47.3207156234881 g
- Cholesterol 78.456721975 mg
- Fat 56.5935311750924 g
- Fiber 4.35328135835245 g
- Protein 33.4434923377953 g
- Saturated Fat 16.0589531182219 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (276g)
- Sodium 866.192510124968 mg
- Sugar 42.9674342651356 g
- Trans Fat 8.25665121707835 g
- Calories 839 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large skillet, heat oil on medium high until sizzling.
- Add the steak and sear all sides quickly.
- Add the beef broth and lower to simmering.
- Cover and simmer for 1 hour on low.
- Sprinkle the flour in at the end, and quickly whisk it in to make gravy.
- Remove from heat.
- In a deep dish pie crust (there should be 2 pieces), separate and in the bottom layer add the following ingredients in layers: Julienne potatoes straight out of the box, uncooked, topped with peas, topped with cream of mushroom soup, topped with the powdered cheese from the potato box, followed by the steak and gravy.
- Make sure the gravy seeps thru to the bottom layer, and if not, add a 1/2 cup of water to make sure the potatoes can get moist.
- Top with the 2nd pie crust.
- Punch holes for the steam.
- Bake at 350? for 45min.
- Let sit 10 min before serving.
Searing cubed steak over medium-high heat until the exterior develops a deep brown crust triggers the Maillard reaction, building complex savory compounds that boiling meat alone cannot achieve. Controlling moisture and structural integrity inside a double-crust pie requires attention to thermodynamics and starch hydration, transforming basic pantry items into a cohesive main dish.
- Sear the beef in a heavy skillet heated to medium-high until all exterior surfaces show deep color, which develops rich depth before the liquid is introduced.
- Simmer the cubed meat in beef broth on low heat covered for a full sixty minutes to break down tough connective collagen into gelatin.
- Whisk flour into the hot liquid dynamically at the end of the simmer, utilizing starch granules to gelatinize the pan juices into a stable gravy.
- Layer dehydrated potatoes directly from the box underneath the moisture-heavy ingredients so the dry starches absorb excess liquid as they reconstitute during baking.
- Puncture the top pastry crust multiple times with a sharp knife to allow steam to vent, preventing vapor pressure from lifting and bursting the pastry seams.
- Bake the assembled pie in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes until the pastry turns golden brown.
- Rest the baked pie for precisely 10 minutes on a wire rack before slicing to allow the internal starches to set and prevent the filling from running completely loose.
- Substitute gluten-free pie pastry if necessary, ensuring any replacement crust contains enough fat content to maintain flaky structural integrity during the 45-minute bake.
Proper starch hydration and controlled steam release govern the success of this pub-style pie. Respecting the resting interval ensures clean slices at the table.
