Savory Hand Pies

Warm and flaky, these flavorful hand pies provide the perfect comfort food on a cold day. These delicious hand pies are made with a rich and saucy beef mixture, cooked with chopped potatoes and veggies, wrapped into store-bought puff pastry, and baked till golden! They make a perfect light meal or convenient lunch.

Components:

1. One tablespoon of olive oil
2. One spoonful of butter
3. One medium white onion, chopped finely
4. One carrot, peeled and chopped finely
5. One rib celery, chopped finely
6. Salt
7. Pepper, black
8. Four garlic cloves crushed in a garlic press
9. 1 pound of ground beef with a lean-to-fat ratio of 85/15
10. One-half teaspoon of Italian spice
11. One-half teaspoon of white pepper
12. One spoonful of pasted tomatoes
13. Two tsp of Worcestershire sauce
14. Three level teaspoons of flour (all purpose)
15. 1/4 cup beef broth or stock
16. One medium russet potato, chopped into ¼-½-inch cubes after peeling.
17. Two tsp of fresh thyme leaves, plus additional for decoration
18. One tablespoon of parsley, chopped finely
19. Half a cup green beans
20. Two packets (17.3 oz each) of frozen puff pastry sheets
21. One whisked egg for the egg wash
22. flakes of salt, optional

Instructions

• Starting with the ingredients list above, gather and prepare all of your ingredients (puff pastry sheets not included; keep those frozen).
• Add the olive oil and butter to a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. After melting the butter, add the celery, carrot, and onion along with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes, or until they are just starting to soften.
• When the garlic begins to smell fragrant, add the ground beef, Italian seasoning, white pepper, and a few more pinches of salt and pepper. Using a spoon or spatula, crumble the beef into a fine consistency and simmer for a few minutes, or until no more seared bits remain.
• Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce next, and mix these into the meat mixture. Finally, add the flour and mix it in thoroughly.
• Stir in the diced potato and the beef stock or broth after adding them. For about 25 to 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and the sauce has thickened, cover the pan and let the filling simmer gently.
• Add the chopped parsley, thyme leaves, and peas to the filling and toss to incorporate. Let the beef filling cool fully before determining if it needs any more salt or pepper.
• When your filling is almost cool, remove the four puff pastry sheets you should have from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for about forty to forty-five minutes. If the pastry sheets thaw before your filling is almost cool, store them in the refrigerator to stay cold.
• Place one puff pastry sheet in front of you at a time on a work surface when they have thawed. The puff pastry sheet should be rolled out to a size of 10 by 10 inches before being cut into four, 5-inch squares. After using all of the puff pastry sheets, place the squares onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or wax to hold them in place
• .When necessary, place wax or parchment paper between the layers of squares to help keep them from sticking.
• After all of your puff pastry sheets have been rolled and cut into 5-inch squares (you should have 16 total), arrange about 4 squares in front of you at a time. To construct a slightly rectangular mound, add approximately ½ cup of the beef filling to the center of each square, leaving some border to allow for sels.
• Apply a thin layer of water to the borders of the filled square, then cover the filling with another puff pastry square, just like you would with a pie. Using a fork, press the edges together, then trim any extra to form a smaller rectangular bundle or “package.” Transfer to a sizable parchment paper-lined baking sheet (or, if necessary, two baking sheets), and repeat to assemble the remaining hand pies. (After assembled, you will have eight hand pies in all.)
• After assembling, make two to three tiny incisions, often known as “vents,” in the top of each hand pie to let steam out while it bakes. After that, put the hand pies into the freezer amd chill for 15-20 min
• Set the oven to 400 degrees.
• After they are cold, brush each savory hand pie with egg wash, top with a small pinch of flaky salt if desired, and bake for 24 to 26 minutes, or until they are deeply golden brown.
• Because the filling will be extremely hot, let the hand pies cool on a wire rack for ten minutes before consuming.