Food + Me = Life

Steak Ale and Cheese Pie with Homemade Buttery Savoury Pastry

Ingredients:

300 rump steak, cut in 2-3 cm pieces
50 ml Worcester sauce
2 tbsp. oil
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 bottle Speight’s, or any ale
2 cups beef stock
1 tbsp. tomato paste
salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated cheese
3 tbsp. corn flour mixed with 3 tbsp. cold water

2x butter savoury pastry
1 tsp. butter and butter wrapper + flour for dusting
1 egg, beaten for egg wash

Method:

1. Combine beef, garlic, Worcester sauce, rosemary, thyme and a good seasoning of salt and pepper in a bowl. stir and coat well refrigerate for 1 hour or longer to enhance flavour in meat.
2. Heat heavy based fry pan to a medium high heat, add 1 tbsp. oil brown onions add to a large pot.
3. Add remaining oil and brown beef on each side, add to the pot with onions.
4. Deglaze your hot fry pan with beer to remove all the tasty caraamilsed juices also add this to the large pot.
5. Add stock, tomato paste and salt and pepper to your pot, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer for 45- 50 minutes until meat is becoming tender.
6. Remove pastry from fridge.
7. Mix cornflour and water together, stir until lumps have dissolved. Turn your pot onto a rapid boil add cornflour mix stirring as it will thicken. Cook on low for 2-3 minutes to cook out cornflour taste.
8. Cool your beef mix.
9. While your beef mix is cooling pre-heat oven to 220 degrees.
10. Roll your to pieces of pastry out, one slightly thicker than the other. one around half-size of your finger and the other slightly thinner.
11. Grease large muffin tins with butter, add a sprinkle of flour to each and shake to coat in flour. ( this is creating a non-stick coating for pastry to sit on.
12. Cut pastry I use a glass that fits the top of the muffin tin for the lid, then a large round object for the base. ( around twice the size of the glass.)
13. Line tin with pastry bases, add cooled beef mix top, fill 3/4 way up the pastry. Add cheese.
14. Egg wash with a pastry brush around the edge of the pastry, add the lid and seal by pushing the edges of pastry together.
15. Egg wash the top and with a fork poke to holes.
16. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, remove from oven cool slightly before turning out and serving.
17. These are perfect for lunch’s or dinner.

Makes: 6 individual pies.

Hint: I made the pastry and the meat in advance and assembled and baked  them when I wanted them.