Recipe Inspiration

Ingredients...

60g beef dripping

1000g diced beef

300g  chopped onion

300g  quartered button mushrooms

20g tomato puree

500ml ale

500ml water

75g Essential Cuisine Premium Instant Gravy Mix

2 bay leaves

10g chopped fresh thyme

20ml  Worcestershire sauce

Good Twist of freshly ground pepper

Sea Salt, season to your taste

For the Shortcrust Pastry:

500g plain flour

1tsp salt

150g  unsalted butter

150g  lard

8tbsp cold water

1 beaten egg (for glazing the pie)

Method...

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150˚c.
2. Heat the dripping in a suitably sized pan.
3. Season the beef evenly with freshly ground pepper and sea salt, carefully add to the hot dripping and colour on all sides. Remove beef with a slotted spoon and place into a casserole dish with a lid.
4. In the same pan, gently fry the onion and mushrooms until soft but with not too much colour.
5. Stir in the tomato puree, deglaze the pan with the ale, releasing any sediment from the bottom of the pan.
6. Pour in the water and bring to the boil, whisk in the gravy mix.
7. Add the bay leaves, thyme and Worcestershire sauce, bring back to the boil and pour over the browned beef, give it a good stir.
8. Cover with a lid and transfer to a medium oven at 150ᵒc for 2 hours or until the beef is tender.
9. Once cooked, remove from the oven and pick out the bay leaves, correct the seasoning and consistency if required with a little more water.
10. Pour the mixture into a deep pie dish and allow to cool.
     
    For the Shortcrust Pastry:
    
    
11. Preheat oven to 220˚c.
12. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
13. Add the butter and lard, then rub together with your fingertips until the mixture forms fine crumbs.
14. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the water, carefully work together to form a ball.
15. Wrap the ball tightly in cling-film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
16. Remove pastry from the fridge and remove the cling-film, place on a floured work surface and kneed with your hands for 1 minute or so, until the pastry is smooth. Roll out the pastry to 5mm thick. Wet the edges of the pie dish and then cover with pastry. Scallop the edges with a sharp knife and decorate the top with leaves, using the pastry trimmings.
17. Glaze the pastry with beaten egg and bake at 220ᵒc for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180ᵒc for a further 30 minutes.
18. Your Steak and Ale Pie is now ready to serve, with your choice of seasonal vegetables and hot buttered new potatoes or cheesy mash.