Beef & beer pie

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small celery stick, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 700g beef shin, featherblade or stewing steak, cut into large chunks
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 540ml can dark ale or beer
• 1 egg, beaten
• a few pinches poppy seeds

For the pastry

• 500g plain flour, plus a little extra
• 250g vegetarian suet
•  
  Prep: 1 hr Cook: 4 hrs
  Moderately easy
  Serves 4 
  
  

  Method

  1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Using a flameproof casserole dish with a lid, soften onion and celery in the butter. Stir in the flour until it has disappeared, then stir in the beef and Worcestershire sauce. Crumble in stock cubes and add thyme. Pour over ale, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook in the oven for 2½ hrs. Remove lid and cook for another 30 mins – this should thicken the sauce nicely.
  2. Increase oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. For the pastry, whizz the flour, suet and 1 tsp salt in a food processor until there are no suet lumps. Keeping the motor running, dribble in 1 tbsp water at a time until the pastry starts to come together, then tip onto a lightly floured surface and bring together with your hands.
  3. Roll out half the pastry and use to line a20-22cm pie dish. Using a slotted spoon,spoon in all of the meat, then pour oversome of the sauce until the meat is justcoated. Put the rest of the sauce into asaucepan. Roll out the remaining pastryto cover the pie. Trim the edge with asmall, sharp knife, then crimp or fork theedges to seal. Make a small heart fromcuttings. Brush top of the pie and heartwith beaten egg, then dip heart intopoppy seeds and stick to top. Bake for30-40 mins until golden brown and crisp.Reheat sauce and serve with the piealong with some mash and greens.