Featured Recipe
Rustic Mexican Beef Pie
By Kate
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Ground beef baked in a flaky homemade crust infused with spice and a blend of smoky, tangy flavors. Uses a yogurt-based dough for tenderness balanced with cold butter pieces to reach flaky texture. Savory base with celery, onion, jalapeño softened slowly, then browned meat layered with chili spices, beef broth, and fresh tomatoes reduced down for a thick filling. Final touch of melting Monterey Jack cheese; option for smoky chipotle sauce instead of chili for deeper heat. Partially blind-baked crust avoids sogginess. Can freeze filling after cooking for quick future meals.
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Prep:
40 min
Cook:
Total:
Serves:
6 servings
Mexican-American
comfort food
pie
ground beef
homemade
meal prep
Introduction
Cold butter chunks in dough. Crunchy bits signal flakiness. Yogurt gives tender crumb with tang. Rolling dough tight, not overmixing crucial. Pie base should be pre-baked to avoid sog. Onion, celery & serrano sweat slowly to coax out sugars. Bumping heat browns beef, adding seasoning quick bloom of spice aroma. Tomatoes and stock reduced sharply, thick paste that sticks to meat. Chipotle adds smoky heat depth; mustard cuts richness. Cheese topping seals moisture, browning adds texture contrast. Freeze filling after cooking for a fast meal hack. This isnt delicate cuisine—robust flavors, textured crust. Slice while warm for melty filling but stable. Recognizing dough texture, browning stage, filling thickness key to results.
Ingredients
Dough
- 160 g unbleached all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cup minus 1 tbsp)
- 1.5 ml salt (1/3 tsp)
- 70 g cold unsalted butter, diced (about 5 tbsp)
- 125 ml plain Greek yogurt
- 50 ml ice cold water plus extra if needed
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, minced
- 1 small serrano chili, seeded and chopped (substitute mild green chili if needed)
- 25 ml butter (roughly 1 2/3 tbsp)
- 600 g lean ground beef (about 1 1/3 lb)
- 18 ml homemade taco seasoning (blend cumin, paprika, cayenne, oregano) – roughly 1 1/4 tbsp
- 200 ml beef stock (about 3/4 cup)
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes, finely diced
- 20 ml chipotle adobo sauce (optional, adds smoky heat)
- 25 ml green jalapeño relish (use no-sugar-added variety)
- 10 ml Dijon mustard
- 100 g shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1 cup)
- Substitute cheese with pepper Jack or Oaxaca cheese
- Swap chipotle adobo for 10 ml smoky BBQ sauce
Filling
Alternative toppings
About the ingredients
Yogurt replaces part butter for balanced crust—adds moisture without greasy heaviness; must be plain, unsweetened. Butter cubes must be cold; melting kills lamination. Flour unbleached holds structure better, but all-purpose works fine. Jalapeño heat adjusts easily; remove seeds for milder taste. Ground beef lean but not extra lean avoids dry crumble; fat imparts flavor, moisture. Stock homemade or low sodium enhances depth. Using chipotle adobo in sauce layer adds smokiness but keep light to avoid overpowering fresh tomato notes. Cheese melts smooth—Monterey Jack readily available, pepper Jack for extra kick, Oaxaca for silky melt. Relish adds slight tang and texture—no substitute for crunch. Dijon mustard cuts fat richness with acidity; use mustard with bright flavor, not overly sharp. Freeze filling fully cooled to prevent soggy dough when reheated.
Method
Dough
- 1. Pulse flour and salt in food processor until combined. Add cold butter cubes; pulse briefly until mixture looks like coarse peas. Critical: Don’t overwork, or butter melts into dough - no flakiness then.
- 2. Pour in yogurt and 50 ml ice water. Pulse just until dough begins to clump, bits still visible. If dry, add extra teaspoon water at a time—not more than needed. Dough sticky but firm. No kneading.
- 3. Scrape dough onto floured surface, press into 1-inch thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic, chill 40 minutes minimum. Rest improves gluten and makes handling easier.
- 4. Remove chilled dough, roll out to 3 mm thickness on floured board. Should feel cool and slightly resistant but pliable. Larger than pie pan, about 26 cm diameter.
- 5. Place dough into buttered 23 cm glass pie plate. Patch any cracks gently, trim excess edges.
- 6. Dock crust with fork spikes evenly to prevent bubbling. Important step. Cover with foil, fill with ceramic pie weights or dried beans to prevent shrinking.
- 7. Bake bottom crust in preheated oven at 205 C (400 F) on lowest rack for about 17 minutes. Look for edges starting to dry, base set but still pale. Remove foil and weights, bake 5 minutes more for light browning. Avoid soggy base.
- 8. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, serrano chili; sweat softly 8 minutes tossing often until fragrant and translucent. Don’t brown here—sweating extracts sweetness.
- 9. Increase heat to medium-high. Crumble in ground beef, spread out, sear undisturbed 3-4 minutes, then stir and break lumps to encourage even browning and moisture evaporation. Cook about 12 minutes until browned and juices evaporate. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- 10. Sprinkle taco seasoning. Stir 1 minute to bloom spices in fat, smell should deepen and spice smell sharpens.
- 11. Pour in beef stock, toss in diced tomatoes. Crank to high, boil vigorously uncovered, stir regularly to reduce liquid until thick and clings to meat well, roughly 15-17 minutes. Mixture darkens and thickens noticeably.
- 12. Remove pan from heat. Stir in chipotle adobo sauce, jalapeño relish, and mustard. Taste; should be tangy, spicy balanced. Cool filling completely to avoid dough sogginess.
- 13. If not baking immediately, freeze filling now in airtight container for up to 1 month.
- 14. Spoon cooled filling evenly into pre-baked crust. Smooth top out, pack gently but don’t smash filling down. A thick layer forms.
- 15. Top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, cover completely.
- 16. Bake at 200 C (390 F) until cheese melts, bubbling, edges golden brown and crust crust deepens in color, about 20-25 minutes. Cheese will start bubbling and browning slightly.
- 17. If reheating from frozen, thaw filling partially overnight in fridge, bake covered with foil 40 minutes, remove foil toward last 10 to brown cheese.
- 18. Rest pie 10 minutes at room temp before slicing. Filling sets up, easier slices, flavors meld.
- Dough too sticky? Chill longer. Too crumbly? Add cold water by teaspoon. Use glass pie dish to monitor bottom color.
- No food processor? Cut butter into flour with two knives or pastry cutter, then mix in yogurt and water by hand quickly, keep cold.
- No jalapeño? Serrano or mild green chili fine; for no heat omit chili completely, maybe add paprika for color.
- Too wet filling? Cook longer uncovered to reduce more moisture; a thick filling is key.
- Cheese substitutions add character, pepper Jack adds spice, Oaxaca melts silkier.
- Leftover filling? Freeze in portioned airtight containers; great reheat on tortillas or skillet.
- Don’t skip piercing dough before blind baking—wet filling means steam trapped, soggy crust.
- Use heavy bottom pan for filling to avoid hot spots and stuck bits; scrape while reducing.
- Resting dough before baking relaxes gluten for tender crust, makes rolling easier.
- Use room temp butter for topping glaze if desired to avoid browning edges too fast.
- Oven temps vary—watch crust color, adjust time rather than strict minutes.
Filling
Assembly and baking
Tips and troubleshooting
Technique Tips
Blind baking crust prevents soaked bottom, critical with juicy beef tomatoes mix. Piercing dough allows steam out, stops rising during baking—helps crust stay even. Slow veggie sweat draws sweetness, prevents bitter raw flavors; do not rush with high heat here. Dark brown beef signals proper caramelization, deep flavor, no pallid meat bits. Stir seasoning quickly to toast spice powder, releasing aromas but avoid burning. Reducing broth and tomatoes concentrates flavors and thickens sauce; don’t cover pan or filling stays watery. Cooling filling stops dough from absorbing moisture and turning to mush. Cheese topping forms sealing crust surface and browns invitingly. Watch visual cues not clock strictly; oven temps vary. Rest pie after baking for filling to set, easier cutting without runny leaks. Freeze filling for meal prep; thaw before baking partially for even heat penetration.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 For the dough, use really cold butter. Cut into flour quickly. Don't overmix. Mixing too long? Dough gets tough, no flakiness. Yogurt adds moisture without greasy feel.
- 💡 Don't skip chilling dough. At least 40 minutes minimum helps with rolling. If dough sticky? Chill longer, or add a touch more flour. Keep everything cold to maintain texture.
- 💡 Filling needs proper cooking. Veggies must sweat slowly. High heat can scorch them. Browning beef? Give it space first, then stir to even cooking. Seasoning should bloom.
- 💡 Reducing the filling is crucial. Liquid should cling well. If too wet, cook uncovered longer—consistency is key. Thicker filling means no soggy crust.
- 💡 Rest pie after baking, 10 minutes. Cooling helps filling set. Slicing warmer? Might leak, harder to cut. Cheese topping? Watch for browning, can slide into burnt easily.
