09/12/2023
Introducing the PSP.
The PSP, or"Peppered steak pie" is an iconic culinary creation involving from a food stall at the Etihad Stadium many years ago now. It was taken up by a small but perfectly formed band of brothers (and sisters)who hang around on a page called Izzet Man City,* who valued the PSP for the fine flavour and excellent texture of the meat, the succulent sauce and the crisp pastry.
Unfortunately, this delicacy fell a victim to the rapacious greed that such venues attract. The pie stall changed hands and, what appeared, soon after, I was a (yawn, yawn), chicken and burger outlet in its place.
A few years ago I took it upon myself to experiment with a PSP that would be not a replica but something created in the spirit of the original. The latest version, probably a Mk4 is under way.
Basically, a stew of onions, garlic, celery, carrots, mushrooms, tomato purée, mustard, rosemary and 24 hour sous vide organic shoulder steak marinated overnight in a Lithuanian dark beer(Baltikos) from Polonez, the Polish deli. **
Turbocharged with four (See photo) varieties of pepper - black,long, Sichuan and hot paprika, it's not for wimps.
Cooked in a traditional Portuguese cataplana (mine is +30 years old and in use every week) for an hour at 190 Celsius so the stock is reduced and thickens nicely.
All they need now is their crispy, light pastry overcoat and into the freezer they go, awaiting the customary celebration.
* these are not "plastic"fans, but veterans of Tuesday nights spent on railway platforms at Lincoln, Scunthorpe,York etc, making their way home after a 2-nil defeat.
** and yes, Toni de Connink, my PSP filling IS is a (modified) rip-off of Carbonnade Flamande.
