Beef Heart Meat Pie
There's nothing better on a cold winter night than a piping hot English style meat pie. You might be hard pressed to find kidneys in the states -- harder press to find anyone who would consent to eating kidney pie. So a great alternative is to use roasted beef heart. The rich flavor meat of heart is much more delicate and is often available in groceries.  A thick top pastry curst makes this into a very hardy winter meal. Service meat pie with Oatmeal Stout, English Ale or Guinness. 

Roasting the Heart (The day before.)

1/2 beef heart, about 2 pounds
2 medium onions
Salt & pepper

Slice onions in 3/4-inch think medallions and place in the bottom of a small baking dish big enough to hold the heart. Season heart both inside and out side with salt & pepper and lay on top of the bed of onions outer side up.  Loosely cover with aluminum foil allowing plenty of space for steam to escape from foil.  Roast in 375°F oven for about 40-50 minutes.  Cool on counter then refrigerate.

Making the Ste

2-3 potatoes, diced
2-3 carrots, chopped
32 ounces of beef stock
3-4 table spoons flour for thicken
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Salt & pepper

Remove any fat solids from cold meat juices discard. Trim fat from heart and dice into 1/2-inch cubes. Drain juices into a pot, add potatoes and carrots and cook four about 12-20 minutes.  You may need to add about half of the beef stock.  Once the potatoes just start to become a little soft, add the herbs and seasonings.  Thicken the stew with flour mixed in remaining beef stock.  Add dice heart meat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Pour stew into a 3 quart baking dish (remove bay leaves). Cover with pastry.

Pastry

4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound butter
1 egg
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup cold water

Mix flour and butter after sifting dry ingredients.  Mix egg, vinegar and water and add enough to flour to make a pliable dough. Knead dough just until smooth.  Roll out dough in into a thick crust to cover the baking dish.  Crimp edges of dough as one would do for a fruit pie.  Make a glaze of one egg and about 1 tablespoon water and generously brush the top of the crust. Sprinkle kosher salt on top and make a couple of vent holes in curst.

Back in a 400°F oven for about 40-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. 
  

 2010  Nathan Krämer  Blair, Nebraska   http://www.nathankramer.com/cookbook/