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1
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon slices until they are crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Do not discard the rendered bacon drippings!
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2
While the bacon is cooking, place the flour, paprika,salt and pepper in a gallon-sized ZipLoc bag. Seal the bag and shake the dry ingredients to blend them thoroughly. Add the cubed beef to the bag; seal and shake until the beef cubes are thoroughly coated with the spice mixture.
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3
When the bacon is finished and draining, add a little olive oil to the bacon drippings in the same skillet and set over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the beef until browned, adding more oil to the pan as needed. As each batch is finished browning, remove it to the stoneware liner of a crock pot and set aside. When the beef is finished, add a little more oil to the same skillet. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic to the pan, and saute lightly until the vegetables have softened a bit, about 5 minutes. When vegetables are finished cooking, add them to the beef in the crock pot. Then, add the wine, broth, tomatoes, thyme, sage and reserved fried bacon, and stir thoroughly to combine. DO AHEAD: This can all be done the night before. Refrigerate the covered crock overnight, and cook it the next day if desired. I think this actually helps develop the flavors even better!
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4
Set the crock pot on the low setting, and cook the beef mixture for 7 hours. After 7 hours, add the cubed parsnips and potatoes to the crock pot; stir thoroughly. Continue cooking on low setting for an additional 2 1/2 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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5
Near the end of cooking time, start preparing the crusts. This is the (sort-of) tricky part that can be likened to filling a square hole with a round peg. If you are a pastry purist, you can make and roll out your own pie crust to fit your baking dishes to order, but I am lazy and I like to save time by using the pre-made pastry you can find in the supermarket. So if you're adventurous,you can skip the following and do your own thing with your own favorite crust.
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6
Take out two 9x13 inch rectangular ceramic baking dishes and set them on the counter. (Oblong metal cake pans or oval shaped bakers would probably work just as well - whatever you have is OK) Remove two of the pie crust sheets from the package and lay them side by side, overlapping in the middle. What you ultimately want to do is line your baking dish with a bottom crust, having some pastry overhang on each short end. Make your best estimate how much you will need to overlap the two round crusts in the middle to achieve this. Trim each sheet so you have only about an inch or so overlap remaining between them. (I use kitchen shears for this. Easier than a knife) Save the scraps. You'll need them in a minute. Press the middle seam together with your fingers to make one large pastry sheet. Carefully fold the large pastry sheet in thirds, and lift it gently into one of the waiting baking dishes. Unfold the pastry and line the pan as you would if you were baking a pie. The long sides will probably not have any overhang. Use the reserved scraps to patch an overhang on the side edges, pressing the pieces together with your fingers. Fill the lined baking dish with half of the beef mixture from the crock pot. Then piece together two more pastry sheets in a similar manner to make atop crust, trimming as needed. Fold the edges of the top crust under the edges of the bottom crust, and crimp to seal. Repeat the same process for the second baking dish. It sounds complicated but it's not. Just make your best guess to make the best fit. It will taste delicious regardless.
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7
Brush the top of each pie with the beaten egg wash (it will make your crust pretty and shiny after baking), and cut a few steam vents in the top with a sharp knife. Bake the pies in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is a nice golden brown. Let stand for 10minutes before serving. Enjoy!
