Ingredients
For the filling
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 of beer or dark ale
For the pastry:
500g plain flour, plus a little extra
250g vegetarian suet
A few pinches of poppy seeds
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
Water
Method
- Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. In a flameproof casserole dish, soften the onion and celery in the butter. Stir in the flour until it has disappeared then stir in the beef and Worcestershire Sauce. Crumble in the stock cubes and add thyme. Pour over the beer, bring to a simmer then cover and cook in oven for two and a half hours. Remove lid and cook for another 30 mins to thicken sauce.
- Increase oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. For the pastry, whizz flour, suet and 1 tsp salt in food processor until there are no suet lumps. Keep motor running and dribble in 1 tbsp water at a time until pastry starts to come together then tip on to lightly floured surface and bring together by hand.
- Roll out half the pastry to line a 20-22cm pie dish. Using a slotted spoon, spoon in all of the meat then pour over some of the sauce until the meat is just coated. Put the rest of the sauce into a saucepan. Roll out the remaining pastry to cover the pie. Trim the edge with a sharp knife then crimp or fork the edges to seal.
- With the trimmings, make four small hearts (one for each slice of pie). Brush top of the pie and hearts with beaten egg then dip the hearts into poppy seeds and stick on top of pie. Bake for 30-40 mins until golden brown and crisp. Reheat the sauce and serve with pie along with some mash and greens.
