Beef and Onion Pie

Jamie Oliver is one of my favorite chefs. This is definitely comfort food. It is also pretty inexpensive to make. *Due to reviews, I have reduced the amount of beef broth to 2 Cups. If you would still like a thicker sauce, be prepared to add a slurry of some of the liquid and a heaping T of flour (or cornstarch) well blended and add to a rolling boil - to make the liquid thicker. Also, a lot of people have commented that they would like this with a 2 crusts, top and bottom, so if you prefer, go ahead and use one of those crusts for the bottom and one for the top. Enjoy!

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3  medium onions
• 2  carrots
• 2  celery ribs
• 2  sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  bay leaves
• 1  lb ground beef, I use ground round
• 1  teaspoon English mustard
• 1  teaspoon  marmite
• 1  tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, I use Lea and Perrins
• 2  teaspoons all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2  cups beef broth
•  prepared  pie dough, 2 - 2x9 inch, refrigerated
• 1  large egg (or a splash of milk)

Directions

1. Beef Filling:
2. Peel and roughly chop the onions, carrots and celery.
3. Remove the rosemary leaves from the stalks and finely chop.
4. Put a large pan over high heat and add about 2 T. olive oil, all the chopped veggies, rosemary and bay leaves. Stir every minute for about 10 minutes, or until the veggies are softened and lightly colored.
5. Stir in the ground beef and break up any large pieces.
6. Add the mustard, Marmite, Worcestershire sauce and 2 t. of flour.
7. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil.
8. Turn the heat down, put a lid on, and simmer for about an hour. Make sure you stir it every so often. If at the end of the cook time the mixture is too soupy you can either thicken it with a little Wondra or flour or simply use a slotted spoon to get the meat mixture out without any excess liquid.
9. Pie:
10. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator 10 minues before you need to roll it.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
12. Fill a large baking dish with the beef filling and let it cool. (OR if you prefer to have a 2 crust pie, then first layer the baking dish with 1 pie pastry before adding the beef filling.).
13. Dust a clean work surface and a rolling pin with some flour and lay the pie dough one on top of the other. Fold in half and roll the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Once it's large enough to cover the top of your serving dish, wind the pastry around your rolling pin and unroll it over the dish. Just patch up any rips or tears. Run a knife around the edge of the dish to trim off any extra dough. (OR don't put them together and use one for the bottom of your pie and the other for the top.).
14. Using a fork, press down all around the edge of the dough to crimp it closed.
15. Make a hole in the middle of the dough, using the tip of a knife.
16. Brush the top of the dough with the beaten egg (or milk).
17. Bake on the bottom rack of your preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp.