Perfect Game Food

As a chef and caterer, I've never had much time for leisure activities, so football is rather difficult to understand unless you have a relation to it. No one I'm close to gets it either. Soccer or as the rest of the world knows it as "football" seems more interesting to me. It's not quite as violent, and is easier to grasp, even in another language. Food is my game, and also find the flavors of the world more satisfying. I don't know why we haven't embraced the meat pie as a serious contender for party food here in the States. Not only are they are absolutely delicious when prepared from quality ingredients with care, the varieties are almost limitless. The flaky pastry the pie is encased in allows for you to eat the meat pie with your hands, like a hamburger. For a larger party, you may consider making miniature pies so your guests can enjoy a variety of different fillings like the traditional mince pie (made with ground beef, not the sweet mincemeat most people think of); steak and potato; classic chicken; chicken and leek; chicken curry; Canadian pork pie; green curry vegetable or a spinach and feta.

Meat Pies can be made ahead and reheated on game day, so you have stress-free entertaining and you can also enjoy the game. And the best part is they are even good at room temperature, so it's really no fuss. Just be sure to refrigerate them within 2 hours of serving them, or you may have some regrets the next day. Regardless of who wins the game, you don't want to be Monday morning quarterbacking with food poisioning.

Classic Mince Pie (Beef)

5 lbs ground beef

4 lbs diced onion

1/4 c. chopped garlic

1-1/2 tbsp tomato paste

seasonings to taste: oregano, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper

2 cups beef stock

1/2 gal demi glace (Knorr)

cornstarch slurry to bind (mix 2 Tbsp in a cup of water, use as needed)

Brown the ground beef, drain the fat, set aside. Saute the onions, and add to beef, with garlic, tomato paste and seasonings. Add beef stock and demi glace. Cook until boiling, add cornstarch slurry if needed to bind.

Cool mixture.

For the pastry - you can use a premade pie dough and line your pan pan with it, or make your own. A great pie dough to make in a food processor is the 1-2-3 dough --- 1 part water, 2 parts fat (butter or a butter/shortening (solid) mixture, and 3 parts flour. Pulse the butter and flour together in a food processor until crumbly. Add a bit of salt (1 Tbsp?) to the water and slowly bring the dough together by pulsing.

Puff pastry is the secret to this amazing recipe, use it on the top of your pie and bake this in a hot oven 375 - 400 for approximately 25 minutes for 5" pies. Miniature pies need less time, and if you choose to make a 9" pie, it will also take more time. Use a thermometer to ensure the internal temperature is at least 165'.