Description
Rustic deer & beer pot pie melds wild game with hearty comfort. Savory meat, rich gravy, and flaky pastry create a satisfying mountain-inspired meal you’ll crave during chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 2 pounds (0.91 kilograms) venison roast, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons flour
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 0.5 white onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 8 ounces (226 grams) baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup frozen English peas
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
Liquids & Fats
- 3 tablespoons bacon fat
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 12 ounces (355 milliliters) brown ale
- 24 ounces (710 milliliters) beef stock
Crust & Finishing
- Frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg beaten with water for egg wash
Instructions
- Prepare six individual ramekins by placing them on a sturdy baking sheet, ensuring even spacing for consistent cooking.
- Meticulously pat venison dry and generously coat with a robust blend of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and freshly ground pepper, then lightly dust with flour for enhanced searing potential.
- Render bacon fat in a heavy-bottomed skillet, sautéing mushrooms until deeply caramelized and rich in color. Transfer mushrooms to a separate plate, preserving their intense flavor.
- Incrementally sear venison in batches, allowing each piece to develop a deep golden-brown crust, then remove and reserve for later integration.
- Sauté onions and carrots until translucent, introducing minced garlic for aromatic depth, then deglaze the pan with brown ale, incorporating Worcestershire sauce and robust beef stock to create a complex sauce foundation.
- Reintroduce venison to the pan, complementing with bay leaf and thyme. Simmer covered on low heat for 1.5-2 hours, then uncovered for an additional 30 minutes to concentrate flavors and reduce liquid. Gently fold in peas and reserved mushrooms.
- Heat oven to 425F. Distribute meat mixture evenly among ramekins, crown with puff pastry squares, delicately brush with egg wash, and sprinkle fresh thyme. Bake 10-15 minutes until pastry achieves a luminous golden-brown finish.
Notes
- Meat Selection Choose lean, well-trimmed venison cuts to ensure tender, flavorful results without excessive gamey taste.
- Fat Management Use bacon fat sparingly to add depth without overwhelming the delicate venison flavor.
- Deglazing Technique Scrape pan bottom when adding brown ale to capture all the rich, caramelized meat bits for maximum sauce complexity.
- Pastry Pro-Tip Ensure puff pastry is cold and handle minimally to maintain its light, flaky texture during baking.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 470
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg