Recipes Comfort Food Savory Pies Mini Potato, Steak, and Chorizo Pies 5.0 (1) 1 Review The remarkable butcher and grass-fed-beef evangelist Pat Whelan is the author of The Irish Beef Book. Coauthored with the restaurant critic Katy McGuinness, the cookbook contains a simple-yet-divine dinner idea: these smallish "pies" filled with a smart combination of fresh chorizo and lean grass-fed ground beef. Seasoned with onion and Worcestershire—we've amped up the filling with extra spices in Senior Food Editor Mary Frances Heck's adaptation of the dish here—they come together in a snap and can easily be made ahead. The topping of thinly sliced starchy russet potatoes form a crispy, potato chip–like topping atop each meaty pie. The move is genius and delivers the comfort of shepherd's pie without the steps involved in making mashed potatoes. All in all, this recipe will please kids and adults and, if you sub the meat for a plant-based version, vegetarians, too. By Mary-Frances Heck Published on April 26, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins Servings: 6 Ingredients ½ cup unsalted butter (4 ounces), divided, plus more for greasing dishes 1 medium-size yellow onion (about 8 ounces), finely chopped (about 1 3/4 cups) 1 medium carrot (about 3 ounces), finely chopped (about 1/2 cup) 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided 1 pound grass-fed 93% extra-lean ground beef 1 (5 1/2-ounce) link fresh Mexican chorizo, casing removed 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups beef stock 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon dried oregano 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 pound, 4 ounces medium-size russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish Directions Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease 6 (12- to 16-ounce) individual pie dishes with butter; set aside. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion, carrot, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring often, until onion is soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and chorizo; cook, stirring often, until meat is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in stock, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and oregano; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring often, until flavors meld and vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mustard and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spoon filling evenly into prepared dishes (a heaping 2/3 cup filling each). Top evenly with sliced potatoes. Sprinkle potatoes with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Microwave remaining 1/4 cup butter in a small microwavable bowl on high until melted, about 1 minute. Brush melted butter evenly over potatoes. Transfer dishes to preheated oven. Bake until pies are golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven; garnish with parsley. Make Ahead Filling can be prepared through step 1 up to 2 days ahead. Let cool, and then cover and refrigerate. Suggested Pairing Robust, peppery Zinfandel: 2019 Foxglove Paso Robles Rate it Print