BEFFSTEAK AND OYSTER PIE

When we think of the Belle Époque era-- the late 1800’s until the great war, we think of the technological advances made: the telegraph, telephone, gas lights, electricity, radio, phonograph, trans-national railroads, petroleum and the automobile. A lot of people got rich and it was not unusual to see corpulent men dining extravagantly. In cities all across America, luxurious restaurants served extravagant dishes to a wealthy clientele. Whether on a luxury steamship or restaurant menu, one dish that serves as a standard of this gilded age is Beefsteak and Oyster pie. Oysters weren’t readily available, even in coastal cities, and of course beef was a luxury then, despite the new refrigerated rail cars. So it was not unusual to see a beefsteak and oyster course offered. It was a sumptuous meal and exclusive because it was expensive. 

There are a few different ways to make this dish; but here is the way we like it.

Beefsteak and Oyster Pie     serves six

1-½ lbs (.7Kg) round steak

2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil

3 onions, chopped

1 carrot diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 ½ tablespoons wheat flour

2 cups (4.5 deciliters) beef stock

½ cup (1 deciliter) ale, porter or stout (or replace with more beef stock

8 ounces (225 grams) sliced mushrooms

24-shucked oysters

Salt and pepper

9 0unces (255 grams)

Egg wash (egg and a little milk or water beaten together)

Preheat the oven to 300F (150C)

Cut the beef into 1 ½ inch (38mm) cubes

Season with salt and pepper

Melt half the butter and half the oil in an ovenproof deep skillet and sear the beef, then remove to a platter

Put onions in skillet and cook for about five minutes

Stir in the diced carrot

Add the flour to the skillet, cook a minute, stirring

Stir in the stock and ale

Stir in the tomato paste

Add the meat, heat to the boil

Cover and put into oven for 90 minutes

Fry the mushrooms in the remaining butter and oil

Season with salt and pepper, and then remove to platter

Have shucked oysters ready

When the meat is cooked, check the liquid in the skillet

If the liquid is too thin, make a roux and thicken it now

(To make roux, fry one tablespoon of flour in one-tablespoon oil and constantly stir until paste starts to colour. Take off heat, stir into skillet.)

Put in the mushrooms, oysters and their liquor into the beef

Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary

Let the skillet cool off

Put the oysters and their liquor into the beef

Turn oven up to 450F (230C)

Put beef mixture into pie dish

Cover with the pastry; trim the edges and brush with the egg wash

Cook in hot oven 10 minutes

Reduce heat to 375F (190C)

Cook 15 minutes more, look for puffed golden crust

If needed cook another couple minutes.

That’s the famous dish from the Belle Epoque.