BEEF & ALE PIE

This is comfort food at its best, with the beer giving the sauce depth of flavour and richness. Serves 4

For the filling

2tbsp plain flour

2tsp English mustard powder A pinch of fine salt

700g (1lb 9oz) chuck or other stewing steak, cut into 4cm chunks

2-4tbsp sunflower oil

2 large onions, sliced 2 celery sticks, cut into 1cm chunks

2 carrots, cut into 5cm chunks 300ml (10fl oz) beer (a good bitter ale, or stout if you prefer) 300ml (10fl oz) rich beef stock A dash of Worcestershire sauce 1tsp dark brown sugar

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs of thyme

Salt and black pepper

For the suet pastry

375g (13oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

175g (8oz) shredded beef suet 200-250ml (7-9fl oz) cold water To make the filling, put the flour and mustard into a bowl with a little salt and mix together. Add the meat and toss in the seasoned flour until evenly coated. Heat 2tbsp oil in a large, flameproof casserole dish. When it’s hot, quickly brown the meat in small batches on all sides, removing the pieces with a slotted spoon to a plate as soon as they are coloured, and adding more oil to the pan as necessary. Once all the meat is set aside, cook the onions, celery and carrots over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Return the meat to the pan and stir, then pour in the beer and stock. Add the Worcestershire sauce, sugar, bay leaf, thyme and a little salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently, covered, for at least 2 hours, until the beef is tender. Tip the filling into a 1.2ltr pie dish and leave to fully cool. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.

To make the suet pastry, put the flour and suet into a large bowl, add some salt and pepper and stir. Add 200ml water and mix to a soft sticky dough with one hand, adding more water if required. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a large oval, about 5cm bigger than the top of your pie dish and 5-7mm thick. Cut a 2cm-wide strip of pastry from around the outside. Dampen the rim of the pie dish with water, position the pastry strip on the rim and brush this with a little water. Lay the pastry oval over the top and press down the edges onto the pastry strip to seal, then trim off the excess. Bake the pie for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.