Serves 4 / 40 minutes + 2 hours in the oven + marinating
Ingredients
- Braising beef 1kg, chuck, flank or brisket all work well, trimmed of excess fat and cut into large chunks
- Garlic 2 cloves, chopped
- Thyme a small bunch, leaves stripped
- Black peppercorns 1 tbsp
- Guinness 500ml can
- Flour 6 tbsp, seasoned
- Oil for frying
- Shallots 8, halved
- Puff pastry 500g, fresh or frozen (defrosted)
- Stilton 100g, crumbled (Colston Basset is good)
- Egg 1 beaten, to glaze
Method
Put the beef, garlic, thyme, peppercorns and Guinness into a bowl. Cover and marinate for 2-3 hours (or preferably overnight). Take out the beef, pat dry and toss in the flour (strain the marinade and keep the liquid).
Heat some oil in a large casserole and brown the beef all over in batches – you want it to colour, not stew. Remove, brown the shallots in the casserole then return the beef and the marinade to the pan. Cover and simmer for about 11/ 2 hours or until the beef is tender (or cook in the oven on 160C/fan 140C/gas 3). Cool slightly.
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Roll the pastry to the thickness of a pound coin. Sprinkle the Stilton over one half, fold the other half on top and roll again to the same thickness. Cut around the tops of 4 pie dishes (or use one big one). Divide the filling between the dishes, brush a little egg around the rims and top with pastry. Trim the edges then brush more egg over the top. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.
As seen in the LifeStyle FOOD Channel production The Best In Australia. For more recipes from the series visit www.LifeStyleFOOD.com.au
