Take the meat out of the refrigerator an hour before you’re ready to cook, if you can, to bring it to room temperature. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Additionally, pound the meat with a meat tenderizer to soften the fibers of the meat. You don't want to pound it too hard, but a light pounding with the rough edge of a meat mallet will do the trick. Trim excess fat, remove any gristle, and set aside. In a large pot, cook onion in oil until caramelized (about 5 minutes). Transfer onions to a bowl and set aside.
Next heat 3 more tablespoons of oil in your pot for a minute or two. Then season your meat with salt and place it in the pot to sear.After about 3 minutes, flip the meat over and sear the other side for another 3 minutes.This will add tremendous flavor to your pot of stew. Transfer your meat to a cutting board and deglaze the pot with wine scraping up the brown bits. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half (about 5-7 minutes).
Meanwhile, cut the meat against the grain into strips and then each strip into one-inch cubes. It will just be seared on the outside, not cooked all the way through.
Return the caramelized onions and beef cubes to the pot. Add chicken broth, carrots, garlic powder, tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme.
Now let that simmer for 1 hour with the lid slightly ajar to keep the temperature low. We want this to cook low and slow, not boil.
After 1 hour, prepare your gelatin.First, sprinkle the powdered gelatin into 1 cup of cold water and let it sit for 5 minutes. This is called blooming.Add this gelatin mixture to your stew, and it will dissolve evenly. Add butter and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For the cauliflower crusts: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with olive oil.Pulse a few florets of cauliflower at a time in your food processor until the cauliflower pieces are the size of couscous, about 3 cups.Next bring ½ cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the cauliflower to the pan. Stir. Turn the heat off and cover the pan. Let the pan sit covered for 10 minutes.Then remove the lid. Transfer to a cheesecloth and twist cheesecloth into a pouch. Squeeze out as much of the moisture as possible, almost 1 cup of liquid. It’s important for the cauliflower rice to be dry. Then place in a large mixing bowl and add egg, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Divide into 8 sections on the oiled parchment paper. Shape into circles to fit each crock or ramekin. Bake for 10-15 minutes and set aside.
Assemble your pot pies: Using a spatula, gently place one baked cauliflower crust on the bottom of each oven-safe crock or ramekin. Fill each with your luscious beef mixture and top with another cauliflower crust.Score each top with a sharp knife for ventilation. Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly.