Feeds 6
Takes 4 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1kg stewing beef, chopped into large chunks (shin and skirt are good, but if you’re feeling really fancy, June insists rump steak is the best)
4 tbsp plain flour
5 bay leaves
1l beef stock
125ml red wine
1 x 500g block shortcrust pastry
Not sure if you need both plain and white.
Method
In a large sauté pan, brown the onions and garlic in 1 tbsp oil.
Put the beef in a large bowl and sprinkle with the flour. Stir to coat.
Remove the onion mixture from the heat, transfer to a bowl and place the beef into the same pan with the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Brown the beef for 2 minutes, stirring, to seal in the flavours.
Add the onion mixture back into the pan along with the bay leaves. Pour in 1 litre hot beef stock and simmer gently for 3 hours with the lid on. Add the red wine and stew for a further 30 minutes (June says don’t put this in any earlier as it could make the meat tough).
Grease and flour a 20cm pie dish and preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
Cut ⅓ off your block of pastry and set aside for the lid. Roll the other remaining ⅔ out to a size that will easily line the dish with a little extra over the edges. Place gently into the dish, and press lightly the into the corners and fold the inside edges round and over the edge of the pie dish slightly.
Scoop out the pieces of beef with a slotted spoon (you don’t want too much sauce in the pie), let cool a little and place into the pie dish – it should look nice and full and be slightly higher than the rim. Save the juices to serve as gravy with the pie.
Roll out the remaining pastry and place on top, pushing down to join it with the under layer. Cut away the excess and add fork lines around the edge. Decorate your pie as you like with the excess pastry (June made a little 15cm plait – why not?).
Bake for 45 minutes, until beautifully golden brown. Rest for 10 minutes before unclipping the sides of the tin and serving.
