BEEF and ALE PIE

Meat pies can get a bit of bad press, but this pie is sure to win over the non-believers. It all comes down to using good-quality meat. I love brisket for its deep flavour and, when it’s cooked correctly, its wonderful fall-apart, melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Preparation Time 20 minutes | Cooking Time 1 hour 50 minutes, plus cooling | Serves 4

1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) beef brisket, diced

Seasoned plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting, plus 50 g (1¾ oz/¹/₃ cup) extra

100 ml (3½ fl oz) vegetable oil

10 baby onions, trimmed and halved

8 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 celery stalks, diced into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes

2 carrots, diced into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes

400 ml (14 fl oz) pale ale

1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) veal or beef stock

1 sheet puff pastry

1 lightly beaten egg yolk, for brushing

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Dust the beef in the seasoned flour. Heat half of the vegetable oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over a high heat, add the beef and fry, turning the beef occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until browned all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Pour the remaining oil into the pan, add the onions, garlic, celery and carrot and sauté for 3–4 minutes until beginning to soften. Return the beef to the pan, add the ale and bring to the boil, then add the stock. Bring to the boil again, skim off any fat that forms on the surface, then cover with a lid and place in the oven to braise for 1–1¼ hours or until the beef is tender.

Return the pan to a simmer over a medium–high heat on the stove. Stir the extra flour in a bowl with 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) cold water to a slurry, add to the beef mixture, then stir to combine and simmer for 4–5 minutes until slightly thickened. Season, then transfer to a 1.75 litre (60 fl oz/7 cup) capacity casserole or pie dish and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Cut the puff pastry to slightly larger than the top of the casserole dish and brush the edge with the egg yolk. Invert the pastry over the beef and press the edges to the pie dish to seal. Brush the pastry with egg yolk, pierce a hole in the centre, place on the prepared tray and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. Serve hot.