Recipe Hamburger Pie

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Not a great picture of the finished product, but my family loved it so much that there was only a tiny piece left. We're in a "I'm tired of hamburgers" phase lately, but that doesn't mean the ground beef should go in the freezer until that changes. The fact is, I am not part of the "we", so I figured out a way to get a hamburger taste in a different form. You may have noticed this when I posted the Bacon Burger Stir-Fry recipe during the ketchup challenge.

This really is open to interpretation...you can put anything in this pie that you normally put on your burger. In my case, that would have meant kimchi, pickled onions, and spicy mayo, but I didn't think anyone else would like that. So, I went with more traditional burger place toppings: ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onions. NOTE: pickles always means dill pickles in the States. I actually bought American cheese, which I forgot to add before I put the top crust on. This is just as well as far as I'm concerned, but I know others would have appeciated it.

And, this continues my relatively new policy when it comes to ground beef: if I want to cook with it, I always first prepare it the way I prepare a hamburger. There's no comparing the tasted of the ground beef after it's been seared in a cast iron pan, versus simply crumbling the beef and stirring it in a teflon-coated pan.

The most important thing here is to make sure that all the fillings are fully cooked and cooled to room temperature before adding to the pie crust. Otherwise, the crust is more prone to developing soft spots.

The great thing about this recipe is that all parts can be made separately

Ingredients

Buttery pie crust
1 pound ground beef (80%/20%)
Burger seasonings (salt and pepper at a minimum)
1/2 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tablespoon oil
Dill pckles, diced
Mustard
Ketchup
1 egg

Directions

1. Form hamburger into patties and cook in a cast iron pan on medium heat. Make sure there's a char on both sides. It's okay to have the burgers cooked slightly less than you normally would, but it's not necessary: the contents of the pie will keep it from overcooking as it bakes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool at room temperature.

2. In a different pan on medium heat, add oil and add saute onions. When softened, add garlic and cook for a minute, until browned somewhat. Stir in pickles and cook for another few minutes to reduce the liquid level somwhat. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using.

3. Prepare the bottom pie crust and allow crust to cool to room temperature. Crumble hamburger patties into the pie shell.

4. Spread the pickle, onion, and garlic blend evenly over the top of the ground beef.

5. Add ketchup, mustard, and anything else you might add on a burger.

6. Roll out the top pie crust in the pie crust recipe, and place over the top of the pan. Pinch around the edges to seal completely. Cut slits in the top of the crust to vent the pie. Blend egg with a tablespoon of water. Brush the surface of the crust evenly with egg wash. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 20 minutes or until the surface is golden brown. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.