Beef and Beer Pie

This wonderful cheesy pastry makes a moreish pie topping. Serves 6

Prep time: 45mins

Cook time: 2hrs 20mins

Per serving:

kcals 656; fat 33g; sat fat 14g; carbs 32g

900g stewing steak, such as chuck, cut into 2.5cm pieces 4tbsp plain flour

2tbsp vegetable oil

450ml beef stock

200g smoked lardons

5 shallots, quartered into wedges

200g button mushrooms, halved if large

A few fresh thyme sprigs

400ml ale

FOR THE PASTRY

250g plain flour, plus extra to dust 125g chilled butter, chopped 11/2tsp English mustard powder 100g Lancashire cheese, finely chopped 1 medium egg, lightly beaten

1 Dry the beef pieces with kitchen paper, put into a bowl and toss through the flour (making sure all the beef is coated). Heat some of the oil in a large pan (that has a lid) over medium-high heat and brown the beef well – do this in batches using the remaining oil so as not to overcrowd the pan. Set the browned beef aside in a bowl. If your pan is getting overly crusty with bits of beef, then add some of the stock and scrape the base with a wooden spoon to pick up any of the sticky bits (add mixture to the browned beef).

2 Return the empty pan to low-medium heat and add the lardons, shallot wedges and mushrooms. Fry for 10mins until the vegetables are beginning to soften. Return beef mixture to the pan (with any liquid) and add the thyme, ale and remaining stock. Bring up to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 11/2hr or until the beef is tender.

3 Meanwhile make the pastry. Put the flour, butter and mustard powder into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the cheese and pulse again until mixture is as fine as before. Next add 11/2tbsp chilled water and pulse until the pastry starts clumping together. Tip on to a work surface, bring together into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill until needed. If you don’t have a food processor, rub the butter into the flour and mustard powder using your fingers, then stir in the cheese (finely grated rather than chopped) and mix in the water with a blunt-ended cutlery knife before bringing pastry together.

4 When the beef filling is ready and seasoned to taste (remove thyme stalks), preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/mark 6. Empty the beef into a rough 2 litre ovenproof serving dish. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out pastry until large enough to cover the dish. Brush the rim of the dish with egg, then lift the pastry on to the dish to cover the filling. Cut a steam hole in the middle of the pastry, trim edges and crimp pastry on to the dish. Brush pastry with beaten egg – if you like reroll trimmings and use to cut out shapes to decorate (remember to glaze these with beaten egg too).

5 Bake for 25-30mins until pastry is deep golden. Serve with a mound of peas and any other seasonal vegetables you like.