Elk Liver, Heart, and Stout Pot Pie

What can get more Rocky Mountain than this twist on a classic pot pie?

If you didn’t know before, the Routt County offers some of the most premier elk hunting in the country!

I know there are a lot of opinions about hunting, but as a Steamboat chef who strives to eat as locally and seasonally as possible and is conscious about sustainability, hunting and providing meat for yourself is one of the ways to do it! I try to cook as waste free as I can, and what better way to serve the liver and heart than simmered with veggies in a delicious brown gravy flavored with local beer!

Pot Pie Crust

2 1/2 C AP flour

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

2 1/2 sticks butter

8 Tbsp ice water

1. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor.

2. Cut the butter into pieces and add the to food processor. Pulse until the butter is pea sized.

3. Stream in the water while the food processor is running and immediately turn off.

4. Dump the unformed dough onto a lightly flour surface and pat gently. Fold and pat until the dough forms.

5. Divide the dough into 2 disks and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before use.

Elk and Stout Filling

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 lbs elk liver and/or heart, large diced

2 large carrots, medium diced

2 parsnips, medium diced

1 large onion, medium diced

2 Yukon gold potatoes, medium diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 C peas, frozen

12 oz dark beer of choice (I’m using Storm Peak Zomb!)

1 bay leaf

2 Tsp thyme, dried

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce or sherry vinegar

1/3 C flour

4 C beef broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Season the elk with a little bit of oil, salt, and pepper.

2. Over high heat in a cast iron dutch oven, sear the elk pieces, then remove and set aside.

3. Add the canola oil and saute the carrots, parsnips, onion, and garlic until fragrant. Add the flour and cook for about 1 minute.

4. Add the thyme and bay leaf and deglaze the pan with the beer. Add the beef broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Turn down to a simmer.

5. Add the seared elk pieces and potatoes and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.

6. Add the Worcestershire sauce and frozen peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. The filling can be used immediately or cooled down and stored for later use.

Pot Pie

These instructions are for cooking the pot pies in 5 inch pans with cooled filling. They are approximately 5 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches deep. For larger pot pies, you can use a round casserole dish, approximately 9 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep, but will need to warm the filling first.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Fill pot pie pans with the filling.

3. Roll out the chilled pot pie dough to 1/4 inch thick and place on top of the pans. Brush with milk and poke with a knife to create vent holes.

4. Place the pot pies on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. and the filling is warmed through.