This slow-cooked steak pie will melt in your mouth

Heat half of the oil in a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan on medium-high. Cook beef in 2 batches until browned all over. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat remaining oil in the same pan. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add carrot and celery, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until vegetables just start to soften. Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in beer, pre-browned beef, then stock, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Season. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Add capsicum and simmer, covered, for a further 11/2 hours or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in gravy powder and barbecue sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until gravy thickens. Remove and discard herb sprigs and bay leaves. Set aside to cool completely.

Grease six 1-cup-capacity pie tins with non-stick cooking spray. Cut each sheet of shortcrust pastry into 4 triangles. Join 2 triangles together along 2 long edges, pressing firmly to secure and form a square. Repeat with remaining triangles to make 6 squares. Line base and sides of each prepared tin with shortcrust squares. Spoon cooled filling into each prepared tin (about 2/3 cup for each pie).

Brush one sheet of puff pastry with a little of the beaten egg. Fold pastry in half to form a rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half to form 2 squares. Repeat with remaining puff pastry to make 6 squares. Brush edges of pastry in tins with a little of the beaten egg. Cover each pie with a puff pastry square, pressing edges with a fork to seal. Trim edges. Brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in snaplock bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional). Remove frozen pies from plastic wrap and snaplock bags, then put pies on 2 large oven trays. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until pastry is golden and puffed and pies are heated through. Pour warm gravy over pies and top with baby peas. Serve.