Beef and Ale Pot Pie

Beef and Ale Pot Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the filling;
400g beef shin, tenderised, chopped into chunks and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
1 x large onion, peeled and chopped
200g button mushrooms, wiped
4 x garlic cloves, crushed
1 x tablespoons tomato purée
2 x teaspoons of dried thyme
2 x teaspoons of dried rosemary
2 x cloves
200 ml of good ale
700 ml beef stock
half a teaspoon of English mustard
a slosh of teriyaki sauce
a squirt of local honey
3 x tablespoon plain flour
Olive Oil
salt & pepper

For the pastry:
225g plain flour
85g vegetable suet
1 x tablespoon of olive oil
100 ml water
1 x free range egg, beaten
salt


Recipe
1. Heat the olive oil in a large lidded pan, then cook the meat in batches until they are browned all over.
2. Remove the meat from the dish and put to one side to rest.
3. Next add the onions, mushrooms and gralic into the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until they have softened.
4. Add the flour and tomato puree and cook for a further minute.
5. Then add the ale, stock, honey, teriyaki sauce and mustard. Stir the mixture so that everything has been mixed together.
6. Next add the herbs, meat and any resting juices back into the pan. Season with salt and pepper then give it another stir. Finally put the lid on and simmer for 1 and a half hours. (Stirring occasionally).
7. After 1 hour return to make the pastry.
8. Mix together the sifted flour and suet, then separately mix together the water and oil.
9. Using a fork, mix the wet ingredients into the dried until it forms a ball of pastry
10. Wrap it in cling film then place it in the fridge until needed.
11. When the pie filling is ready leave it to cool for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 200ºc.
12. Once it has cooled, either pour the filling into 4 individual pot pie dishes or one large one.
13. Roll out the pastry. Cut out one large disc or four smaller discs of pastry that are about 1cm in diameter bigger than the pie dish or dishes.
14. Wipe the edges of the dishes with the beaten egg and place the pastry on top carefully but firmly.
15. Glaze the top of the pie with the remaining egg and then make pretty things with the remaining pastry.
16. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
17. Serve with butternut squash or potatoes and steamed greens.

Beef and Dumpling Stew with Sage Mash Potato

Beef and Dumpling Stew with Sage Mash Potato

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the stew;
400g beef shin, tenderised and chopped into chunks
1 x large onion, peeled and chopped
2 x carrots, peeled and chopped
2 x celery stalks, chopped
200g button mushrooms, wiped
4 x garlic cloves, crushed
2 x tablespoons tomato purée
2 x teaspoons of dried thyme
2 x teaspoons of dried parsley
4 x cloves
400ml red wine
400 ml beef stock
half a teaspoon of English mustard
a slosh of teriyaki sauce
a squirt of local honey
2 x tablespoon plain flour
Olive Oil
salt & pepper

For the dumplings;
100g of self raising flour
50g of vegetable suet
1 x teaspoon of parsley
1 x cup of cold water

For the mash;
800g Marris piper potatoes, pealed then halved or quartered
2 x tablespoon of low fat margarine
a large slosh of skimmed milk
3 x teaspoons of dried sage
salt & pepper



Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish, then cook the meat in batches until they are browned all over.
3. Remove the meat from the dish and put to one side.
4. Next add the onions, carrots and celery into the pan and cook on a low heat for 12 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
5. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the cloves and cook for 30 seconds, then the tomato purée and cook for another minute.
7. Add the flour, thyme, parsley, wine, stock, honey, teriyaki sauce and mustard. Stir the mixture so that everything has been mixed together.
8. Add the mushrooms and the meat and any resting juices back into the pan. Give it another stir, then put the lid on and place in the oven for 2 and a half hours.
9. What you really want here is for the meat to be really soft and to fall apart. Also you want the sauce to thicken.
10. With 40 minutes to go, boil your potatoes in a large pan lightly seasoned with table salt for 25-30 until soft.
11. Mix the self raising flour, suet and remaining parsley in a large bowl and cut with a butter knife until well mixed.
12. Slowly add water a little at a time while mixing with a butter knife, once the mixture is soft and sticky enough remove the stew from the oven and take off the lid.
13. Using a tablespoon scoop and then carefully drop the spoonfuls of the dumpling mix into the stew from a really low height. You want approximately 8 in total giving everyone 2 each.
14. Place the stew back into the oven without it's lid and cook for the remaining time of 30 minutes.
15. Once the potatoes are soft drain them and then put them through a ricer into a large bowl. (if you do not have a ricer place them directly in the bowl and mash until soft).
16. Add the milk, sage and margarine and stir into the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and stir again. Keep this warm in a lidded pan until the stew is ready and the dumplings are crispy on top.
17. Serve the mash, stew and dumplings and season to taste.