Recipe from @maddisongrawe
Most of us have endeavored in the ever-satisfying homemade Chicken Pot Pie; maybe it was served by your resourceful grandmother, maybe it was served to sustain your belly on that cold winter’s day, or maybe it was served as a quick meal popped in the oven on a busy day. I grew up watching my mother make some of the most fulfilling, creative meals, and at times on a strict budget. The recipe for her Chicken Pot Pie often varied on what leftovers, canned vegetables, or soup were in the kitchen, yet the main concept never varied; the meat, the veggies, the crust, the base.
As I began harvesting my own wild game, the same problem kept arising amongst myself and fellow hunters as we finished off our steaks, ribs, and loins. We needed recipes to revive our leftover meat in a flavorful, tasteful way. So, I revamped the beloved family tradition into a hearty new recipe for wild game meat. The method I use can be altered based on your favorite veggies and type of dark meat, but the base should remain the same. You may also use this recipe to serve or store individual size pies in the freezer for future use.
Prep:
20 mins
Cook Time:
Stove – 30 mins
Oven – 40 to 45 mins
Cool – 10 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 45 mins
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds ground or stew wild game meat
4 slices real butter
2 ½ carrots (peeled & cut into small pieces)
½ onion (chopped into small cubes)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup red wine
3 tablespoons flour (may vary)
1 ½ - 2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons thyme (chopped)
1 bay leaf
10 fresh french green beans (cut into inch size pieces)
½ cup peas
1 potato (cut into small cubes, halfway cooked)
1-1 ½ teaspoons of seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne)
1 egg white (beaten with 1 ½ tablespoon water)
2 9-inch store-bought pie dough (room temperature)
Steps:
1. Heat oven to 375 F degrees.
2. On the stove, cook the meat in a skillet on medium-high heat until rare to medium rare. If you are using ground meat, chop it very finely with a spatula while cooking. If you are using stew meat, make sure to cut the meat into 1 centimeter cubed pieces.
3. Separate the meat into a bowl, while leaving the grease in the skillet. Add 2 slices of butter, carrots, and onions into the skillet. Sauté ingredients on medium-high heat until the onions are no longer translucent (beginning to brown), and the carrots begin to soften.
4. Stir in tomato paste and wine and cook until nearly evaporated about 1 minute.
5. Turn the stove down to low-medium heat. Sprinkle flour a little bit at a time, while continuously whisking. Keep slowly adding flour until you reach a thick paste-like base.
6. Add beef broth, Worcestershire, thyme, and bay leaf, stirring until combined. Continue whisking until you have reached a gravy-like consistency (you might have to add more flour).
7. Fold in your green beans, peas, and potato.
8. Take the bay leaf out. Fold in the meat you set aside earlier.
9. Taste and add seasoning using your own judgment on the amount. Set filling aside.
10. If you are making one pie, use a cast iron skillet or pie pan. If you are making individual pies, use oven-safe dishes.
11. On a clean countertop, spread a light, even layer of flour. Roll out one store-bought pie dough on top of the flour, and spread a light, even layer of flour on top of the dough. Set the dough in pan. If the dough once pressed against the pan’s side reaches the top, you do not need to roll the dough out. If not, evenly roll the dough out on the counter with a rolling pin until it reaches the correct size. Press the dough lightly and evenly to the bottom, and sides of the pan. (You may skip this step if you don’t want crust in the bottom)
12. Fill the pie pan with the filling. Place 2 slices of butter in the center.
13. Repeat step 11 for the top piece of dough, and reach a size that barely hangs over the rim of the pie pan. Gently press the top dough to the bottom dough around the inside of the pie pan’s edge. Fold the overhanging dough inward so it doesn’t hang over the pie pan’s edge. Crimp dough evenly around edge of pie using your fingers to make small mountain-like ridges.
14. Using a knife, cut 4 1/2-inch holes in center of pie. Brush dough with egg white mixture.
15. Put the pie in the oven. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes, then place foil or tin pie crust shield on the edges of the crust. Cook for another 20-25 minutes. Place pie on a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy.