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Sweet Spiced Beef Pie With Peaches And Meringoe Topping
(Pastel De Cambraye)
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This dish is traditionally served at weddings in "Cambraye", a province in the north of Argentina.
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| What You Need: |
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THE PASTRY
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
½ cups (3 quarter-pound sticks) butter, cut into small pieces
4 egg yolks
1 cup muscatel
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
THE FILLING
½ cup seedless raisins
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds lean top sirloin of beef, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
½ cup dry white wine
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ small bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh bread crumbs
6 fresh peaches, peeled, halved and pitted, or 12 canned peach halves, thoroughly drained
THE MERINGUE
4 egg whites
¼ cup sugar
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| How To Cook: |
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THE PASTRY:
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1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and butter, and with your fingers or a spoon mix them together thoroughly until the dough resembles coarse meal.
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2. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time and, when they have all been absorbed, mix in the muscatel, ¼ cup at a time.
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3. Shape the dough into a compact ball, wrap it in wax paper or foil, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to an hour, or until thoroughly chilled.
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THE FILLING:
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1. Combine the raisins with 1 cup of hot water and let them soak for 30 minutes.
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2. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the beef and brown it well on all sides, stirring constantly and regulating the heat to brown it as quickly as possible without burning.
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3. Add the onions, lower the heat to moderate, and cook, stirring constantly, until they are soft. Then stir in the white wine, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cover the skillet.
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4. Reduce the heat to its lowest point and simmer for 25 minutes. Drain the raisins and stir them into the meat mixture. Remove the bay leaf. Transfer the entire contents of the pan to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
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5. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it in half. On a lightly floured board, roll the halves one at a time into 2 rough rectangles about 12 inches wide, 16 inches long and 1/8 inch thick.
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6. Drape one rectangle of dough loosely over a lightly buttered shallow 8-by-12-inch baking dish, and gently press the dough against the bottom and sides of the dish. Pour in the cooled meat filling, spreading it out evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
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7. Sprinkle the meat with bread crumbs and then place the peach halves side by side on top of the meat. Cover with the second rectangle of dough, letting it sink to about ½ inch below the top rim of the dish.
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8. With the tines of a table fork, press the edges of the dough together all around the rim of the dish, then neatly cut off all the excess.
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9. Brush the top of the crust with the beaten egg yolk and water, and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Then remove the pie from the oven and increase the heat to 425°F.
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THE MERINGUE:
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1. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk or a rotary or electric beater until they are stiff enough to form soft peaks on the beater when it is lifted from the bowl.
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2. Then beat in ¼ cup of sugar and continue beating until the meringue is firm and glossy. With a spatula, spread the meringue thickly over the filling and swirl it decoratively if you like.
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3. Return the pie to the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, or until the meringue is a light golden brown. Serve at once.
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