Ingredients
1¾ cups plain flour
1 tsp fine salt
150g unsalted butter, cut into 0.5cm cubes, chilled
80ml ice-cold water
Extra plain flour, for dusting
1kg diced chuck beef
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 brown onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
½ bunch thyme, chopped
2 Tbsp tomato paste
500ml ale
1 cup beef stock
2 tsp brown sugar
Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season
1 egg, beaten
Mushy peas, to serve
Boiled potatoes, to serve
Method
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Preheat oven to 200°C. Put 1½ cups of the flour, fine salt and butter in a food processor and pulse 4 times. Add water. Pulse 4 more times or until mixture almost comes together.
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Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Press out dough into a rectangle shape.
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Using a little extra flour, roll out dough to a large rectangle about 50 x 30cm.
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Fold in pastry from 2 short sides to meet in middle, then fold in half to enclose seam. Repeat rolling out and folding 3 times. Wrap folded pastry in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
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Meanwhile, put beef in a medium bowl and toss with remaining flour. Heat oil
in a large saucepan over a high heat. Cook beef, in 2 batches, for 5 minutes or until well browned. Return all beef to saucepan. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes or until aromatic and tender. -
Add tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in ale. Bring to a simmer. Add stock and sugar. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 1½ hours or until beef is tender. Season with sea-salt flakes and pepper. Transfer to a wide 1.5L casserole dish.
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Use a rolling pin to roll out pastry to 5mm thick. Brush 1 side with a little egg. Drape pastry, egg-side down, over beef mixture and dish rim. Use fingers to press pastry onto dish to seal. Use a sharp knife to trim excess pastry. Brush top with remaining egg. Use a sharp knife to cut a hole as a steam vent. Bake for 35 minutes or until pastry has risen and is golden and crispy.
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Serve with mushy peas and boiled potatoes.