It’s freezing out. Doesn’t some serious comfort food sound good right about now? We hit up Plowboys award-winning pitmaster Todd Johns to see what recipes he had in his arsenal. Turns out, it’s a little something he whipped up “from his barbecue competitions.” Behold his hearty, decadent Brisket Burnt-End Pot Pie. Feel free to use tasty leftover burnt ends or buy ‘em by the pound at one of three Plowboys locations, he says.
Plowboys Brisket Burnt-End Pot Pie
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, diced
Pinch of salt
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed (pressed is best)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart (4 cups) beef stock (not broth)
4 cups (1 1/3 pounds) burnt ends, chopped small to medium bite-size pieces
2 cups peeled and diced carrots, blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes
2 cups fresh or canned green beans
1/3 cup frozen green peas
2 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crusts
1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water or milk
Directions:
Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add diced onion and sauté with the pinch of salt. Once onions are soft, add garlic and sauté for a minute. Add flour and create a roux (grandma would just call it a gravy). Cook the roux, stirring, until it turns a golden brown. This creates that earthy, nutty flavor that will bring your pot pie to life.
Add beef stock. (Chef note: Stock is always better than broth.) Here’s where you may want to add a little as you go. You are looking for thick gravy as the base of your filling. Boiling creates thickness. Once the gravy is the thickness you want, remove from heat. Add chopped burnt ends. (Chef note 2.0: The recipe calls for about 4 cups, but to be honest, I don’t measure. I add as much as I want to add.)
Add carrots to the gravy. Again, use as much as you want, a couple cups. Add the green beans (if fresh, blanch first). Finally, add frozen peas. Peas are tender, and you don’t want to destroy them by overcooking. Frozen peas will thaw quickly in the hot gravy.
Press one crust into a deep-dish pie plate. Pre-greasing the pan is not required. Add your filling and place the top crust over everything. Pinch the two crust together to close. Brush the top with egg wash. Bake at 375 degrees until crust is golden brown, 30-40 minutes.