Beef Pastie with Caramelized Onions

Night of 1000 Pies was about a month ago, but we're just now catching up with recipes. Oops? Here's one of mine, the Beef Pastie with Caramelized Onions.

This was originally based on a recipe by the same name in Bon Appetit Magazine. However, in keeping with the theme of Weekly Delicious, there have been some changes. Until my big fancy grocery store moves into town, cheeses are subject to changing. And it's already been established that we've come across the perfect crust recipe, so there were some changes in that way, too. Math was done. It was scary. But you need not be afraid, the work is done for you.

INGREDIENTS:
CRUST:
- 3 cups and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/4 cups butter, chilled and diced
- 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons ice water (approximate)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

FILLING:
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 10 oz skirt steak, cut crosswise on diagonal into 1/4-inch-wide strips [fajita cut steak cut into 1/4 inch strips also works great]
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 6 oz coarsely crumbled Stilton blue cheese (1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups) [I used a mix of sharp white cheddar and regular blue cheese]
- 1 large egg white, beaten to blend


PREPARATION:

CRUST (do at least 45 minutes ahead of time):

1. Mix the flour, salt, allspice, rosemary, and thyme together.

2. Incorporate the cold butter into the dry ingredients a handful at a time. A food processor can be used to make the work easy, a pastry cutter is the second best thing, though if you have cold hands that don't mind tedious work, you can just use your hands.
- You want as much flour touching the butter as possible, so you want the butter end up pieces as small as you can manage (If you were to take some of the mix and rub it between your fingers, large chunks of butter shouldn't smear between your fingers)
- Keep any butter you won't be getting to immediately in the fridge or freezer to keep it cold.
- Keep adding butter until you've added all it.
- The finished mix should look mealy, sort of like damp and clumpy breadcrumbs.

3. Add the ice water a tiny bit at a time (a few tablespoons, at most), and completely mix before adding more water
- Only add enough water so that it comes together in ball.

4. Divide the ball into four pieces, and shape those pieces roughly in the shape of a disk. Wrap these disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes
- Do not just place dough unwrapped in the fridge, it will dry out and become impossible to work with.


FILLING:

1. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onions.

2. Sauté the onions until deep brown, for at least 30 minutes. Yes, it takes that long.

3. Add the wine and thyme and continue to sauté until most of the excess liquid evaporates (about 15 minutes, your time may vary)

4. Allow to cool in a separate container, and try not to pass out from how amazing this smells.

5. In the same pan you cooked your onions in, cook your beef until it's cooked all the way through. Remove and allow to cool.


PUTTING IT TOGETHER:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.

2. Between two sheets of parchment paper (or with a well floured rolling pin), roll out each disk of dough until it is 9 inches in diameter
- Make sure there are no tears in the dough and that the final shape is a circle. The point of these crusts is to hold in your filling, remember?

3. Place all crusts on a piece of parchment paper
- One big baking sheet? Put them all on there, so long as they aren't on top of each other.
- No parchment paper? Just make sure you can move these without them falling apart in the process. Somehow. Be skilled, I know you have it in you.

4. Put 1/4 of the onion filling on half of each round, leaving about an inch along the side. It should be a delicious half moon of onions. On top of the onions, place 1/4 of the beef on each round, making the same shape. And on top of the beef, place 1/4 of the cheese on each.

5. Brush the border (about an inch) of the crust around the filling with the egg white.

6. Fold over the crust to cover the filling, sealing it into a pouch.

7. Brush the top of each pastie with egg white and make 3 small cuts in the top to vent steam
- No one likes an exploded pastie. At least no one will admit to liking it.

8. Still on parchment paper, move to baking sheets.
- Big sheet? Put them all on, so long as there's an inch or two between them.
- No parchment paper? Move them carefully to baking sheets that have been liberally greased.

9. Bake until golden brown (about 30 minutes), and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

10. Cut and serve!


VARIATIONS:

1. Feel free to do this without the herbs and spices in the crust.
2. Try it with some of the same cheese sprinkles on the outside
3. You can do like I did the first time and make two pastie volcanoes instead of four pouches. Just use one round like a bottom crust, and divide the filling in two between the bottom crusts. Lay the top crust on and seal as you would the regular pasties (you will have to stretch the top crust a little).