Beef Pot Pie

In a medium sized saucepan, brown the meat on all sides (with no oil). When the meat is browned, place it in the center of the pan, and fill with water almost to cover the meat. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Let the meat braise for about 2 hours, or until it is very tender and falling apart. If the pan starts to get dry, add water. When the meat is ready, skim the fat off of the top of the broth, and transfer the meat to a large bowl, reserving the broth. Shred the meat with forks, and set aside.

In another pot, add the beef stock and the reserved beef broth and mix together. When it starts to simmer, add the carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms. Cook until they are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

With a slotted spoon, remove the carrots, potatoes and mushrooms from the beef broth, and add them to the shredded beef. Add the green peas and very gently fold everything together.

Add the red wine to the stock and bring the mixture back up to a simmer. Pull about 1/3 cup of the hot broth from the pot, and in a small bowl, whisk in the cornstarch until the broth is thick and smooth. (You could also use Wondra flour for this).

Add the thickened mixture back into the pot of broth, and whisk the whole thing until it is a smooth and slightly thickened gravy. This should take about 5 minutes.

I used two small pots, but you could also use ramekins for individual portions. Whatever you use, spoon the beef and vegetable filling in, and then pour the gravy on top of the filling.

Roll out the thawed puff pastry slightly, and then cut a piece large enough to cover the top of the pot pie. I usually poke a few fork holes in the top of the pastry to let steam escape.

Let the pie bake until the inside is hot and the crust is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.