Pie filling

1 Cut any large bits of fat off the beef cheeks and brisket, cut into large dice. Pat dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper.

2 Heat a large, heavy based pot over high heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil and sear to a golden brown, then remove and set aside.

3 In the same pot, turn down the heat to low and add ½ the onion and add garlic. Saute for 5 mins, stirring to stop it catching.

4 Add ½ of the diced carrot, leeks, potato, mushrooms and onion (if you like them). Cook gently for 10 mins until just softened. 5 Add a splash of the red wine or beer, whatever you prefer and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the red wine or beer, add the chicken stock, and bay leaves or thyme, star anise and stir to combine. Add the Worstershire.

6 Add the seared beef back into the sauce. Bring back to a simmer, cover and keep on a low simmer for 2 hours.

7 Remove the lid and simmer for a further 30 mins or until the meat is almost falling apart. If you find it needs more liquid add water (using more stock will make the sauce too salty).

8 Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Bring the sauce to a rapid simmer. Add the rest of the vegetables for a further 20 mins to thicken the sauce.

9 Taste, return to the sauce and stir to combine. At this point, you can either serve the sauce, refrigerate until the next day for even better flavour, or freeze half for future use.