Poutine Tarts

1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. In a 4-quart Dutch oven cook meat, half at a time, in hot oil over medium-high heat until brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat from pan.

2. Add onions, carrots, and celery to Dutch oven. Cook over medium about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, and thyme; cook and stir for 3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Carefully add wine to Dutch oven, stirring to scrape up crusty brown bits. Return to heat and cook until wine is reduced by half. Add beef broth and chicken broth. Return meat to Dutch oven. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 45 to 60 minutes or until meat is tender. Meanwhile, prepare Thyme Pastry. Wrap pastry in plastic wrap until ready to use.

3. In a small bowl combine butter and flour; stir into meat mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat and vegetables from sauce and place in a bowl; cool slightly. Stir in cheese curds. Cover sauce and keep warm, or reheat before serving.

4. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Divide pastry into eight portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 8-inch circle; transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the meat mixture onto each pastry circle to within 1 inch of the edges. Fold edges of pastry up and over filling, pleating edges as necessary. In a small bowl combine egg and the water; brush over pastry.

5. Bake about 20 minutes or until filling is heated through and pastry is golden, covering filling with small foil circles if necessary to prevent overbrowning and rearranging baking sheets halfway through baking. Remove from oven and keep warm.

6. Bake French-fried potatoes according to package directions. Top tarts with fried potatoes, sprinkle with additional herbs (if desired), and serve with the reserved sauce.

Thyme Pastry

1. Stir together thyme, flour, and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of the bowl. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until all the dough is moistened. Form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough.

*Cooked Beef Option:

Substitute two 17-ounce packages refrigerated cooked beef tips with gravy for the uncooked beef short ribs and skip Step 1. Omit chicken broth, using only the beef broth. Cook vegetables as directed in Step 2; add wine and cook until reduced. Add beef broth and cooked beef with gravy; cook for only 5 minutes to heat through, breaking up any large pieces of meat. Continue as directed.