Beef and Beer Pies

It's Friday night and there's footy on the TV.  Serve these, golden beauties chin-blistering hot with tomato sauce (ketchup) and icy cold beer... but I didn't need to tell you that, right?

Beef and Beer Pies

adapted from here

Makes 8

For the Filling:
Olive oil, for frying
1k of chuck steak, chopped into 2cm dice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup plain flour, for dusting
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
375ml (a stubby) of your favourite beer
500ml beef stock

For the Pastry:
300g unsalted butter
320ml water
550g plain flour
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes, plus extra for sprinkling
1 egg, beaten for glazing

Make the Filling:
Preheat the oven to 180C.

Season the chopped meat well with salt and pepper.  Dredge in flour, shake of the excess, and brown in batches in a large Dutch oven, using about 1 tablespoon of oil for each batch.  Remove the browned meat to a plate.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan if needed, and fry the onions, garlic and celery on medium-low for about 10 minutes, until softened.  Add the meat back to the pan and the tomato paste and fry for 2 minutes.  Add the bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, beer and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.  Cut a circle of baking paper big enough fit the pan and run it under a tap to wet it.  Scrunch it up and squeeze it out.  Place the paper directly on top of the meat mixture.  Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook in the oven for 4 hours, until the meat it tender.  Check the liquid level from time to time and if it looks like it's drying out too much, add a splash of water.

Remove the pan from the oven, check the seasoning and adjust if necessary, and let the meat mixture cool down completely before assembling the pies.

Make the Pastry:
Put the butter and water into a medium size pan.  Bring to boil over medium-high heat.  Once boiling and the butter has melted, remove from the heat and add the flour and salt.  Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together, then dump it out onto a floured work surface and bring it together with your hands until you have a soft dough.

Make the Pies:
Preheat the oven to 200C.  Grease 8 x 12.5cm pie tins.  Set aside.

Divide the dough into a 3/4 and a 1/4 portion.  Take the 3/4 portion and divide into 8 even portions. Roll each portion into a ball, and then roll each ball out to a circle big enough to line the base and sides of your pie tins.  Once you've lined the tins, dollop a generous amount of filling into each pastry case.

Now take the 1/4 portion and divide into 8 even portions.  Roll each portion into a ball, and then roll each ball out to a circle big enough to top your pies.  Make a small hole in the centre of each lid and press the lid onto the pies, pressing the edges firmly to create a good seal.  Use a sharp knife to trim off the excess pastry.  Brush the lids with beaten egg and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

Place the pies onto a large baking tray and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the filling is piping hot and the pastry is golden.  Serve chin-blistering hot with tomato sauce (ketchup) and icy cold beer... but I didn't need to tell you that, right?