Medieval Beef and Bacon Pie
"Part of him wanted nothing so much as to hear Bran laugh again, to sup on one of Gage’s beef- and- bacon pies, to listen to Old Nan tell her tales of the children of the forest and Florian the Fool." — A Game of Thrones
Excerpted from A FEAST OF ICE AND FIRE: THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THRONES COMPANION COOKBOOK by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer. Copyright © 2012 by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer. Excerpted by permission of Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
- 1/2 cup thick- cut bacon, diced or cut small
- 1 1/2 pounds stew beef, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1⁄3 cup prunes, sliced
- 1⁄3 cup raisins
- 1⁄3 cup dates, chopped
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fl our
- 1 batch Medieval Pastry Dough (see page 9) or dough for a double- crust 9- inch pie, unbaked, rolled into 2 rounds
- 1 egg, beaten
We followed the recipe from A Propre New Booke of Cokery, simply swapping some thick- cut bacon in for the original marrow and letting the rest of the recipe be. The sweetness of the pie comes from the fruit, which dissolves as it cooks, providing a satisfying counterpoint to the tart vinegar and salty bacon. Then the fruit flavor fades into the background, and what remains is a sweet, rich meat pie with an easy medley of flavors.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Let the meat mixture cool. Line a 9- inch pie pan with a round of pastry dough and fill it with the meat mixture. Add a pastry lid, turn the edges under, pinch them closed, and brush with beaten egg. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is cooked, about 40 minutes.