Port Wine Beef Pie

Heat a generous amount of butter in a large cooking vessel over medium heat. Introduce the shallot and cook, stirring constantly until it becomes tender, approximately 5 minutes. Add port wine and thyme; bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a low simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened to half its original volume, roughly 35 minutes.

Prepare a small saucepan with the chicken broth and place it on the stovetop. Turn off the heat source and add half of the mushroom slices, allowing them to soak in the liquid for 15-20 minutes.

Utilize a slotted spoon to transfer the soaked mushrooms to a small container. Strain the chicken broth from the saucepan into another bowl, carefully pouring it through a fine-mesh filter or cheesecloth to remove any sediment.

Dice the rehydrated mushrooms and combine them with the port sauce. Add the strained chicken-mushroom broth to the mixture.

Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook and stir until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, approximately 15 minutes.

Combine cornstarch with a sufficient amount of cold water in a bowl. Whisk the cornstarch mixture rapidly into the simmering sauce until it thickens, roughly 3 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to the mixture.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the beef until it still retains some pinkness in the center, 6-7 minutes. Transfer the beef to a bowl. Sear the remaining mushrooms and onion in the beef's residual fat until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Add the beef to the bowl with the mushrooms.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Utilize two knives or a pastry blender to cut 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons of butter into the flour until it forms a crumbly mixture. Add 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons of cold water; mix until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, setting aside one portion and rolling out the other half onto a floured surface. Press the dough into a 10-inch pie pan to form the bottom crust.

Spread the vegetable-beef mixture over the crust in the pie pan. Pour the sauce on top, spreading it to the edges. Roll out the other half of the dough and cover the pie with the crust; seal the edges.

Bake in the preheated oven until it is flaky and golden, approximately 45 minutes. Allow it to cool for 15 minutes before serving.