Ingredients
Method
1.Sprinkle the flour over the beef chunks and toss to coat.
2.In a saucepan, heat the oil and brown off the meat in batches. Set aside.
3.In the same saucepan, sauté the onions, carrots and garlic until they begin to soften. Pour over the beer and, as it bubbles up, scrape off any yummy bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the meat back in, along with the tomato puree, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is meltingly tender. Cool.
4.Heat oven to 220°C. Grease a 23cm (or similar) pie dish.
5.To make the pie: Ladle the cold pie filling into your dish. Feel free to pile it up as it will settle as it cooks through. Scatter over chunks of blue cheese. Roll out the pastry to fit as a lid and brush egg wash around the edges (this helps to seal your pie). Drape the lid over the filling, then squeeze and pinch the pastry onto the rim of your dish, sealing it well. Use a sharp knife to make plenty of steam holes in the pastry. Brush some more with the beaten egg. Lower oven temperature to 180°C and bake for 40 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
6.Serve great spoonfuls of pie with your favourite vegetables!
I’m in the habit of making the filling a day ahead as I think it improves the flavour. I usually avoid using tomato purée (too strong), but for this recipe it allows me to keep the liquid to a minimum while dialling up the flavour.
Note
