Australian Beef Pie

If you are planning pies for dinner, you’ll need to start this recipe about 6 hours before you intend to eat your pies to allow time for the pastry to rest in the fridge after mixing (at least 2 hours) and again after rolling (another 2 hours).

Start with the pastry. Sift the flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor and add the cubed butter, pulsing in 1-second bursts about 6 times to partly combine. Be careful not to overmix! Remove the dough from the processor and gently shape it into an inch thick disc, wrap it up in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, rest the dough on the counter for 15 minutes. Then unwrap it and roll it out on a floured surface until the dough is about 3 mm thick. Trim the dough to fit a 9 inch pie pan, then drape it gently into the dish. Press dough into all surfaces of the pan, and try to leave about ¼ inch overhang over the top. Cover with plastic wrap again and chill for another 2 hours.

While the dough is chilling, start on the pie filling. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat and cook the onions until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, thyme and oregano and cook for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, salt and pepper and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add the beef and cook until it’w well browned, stirring to combine and then add about ½ cup of the beef stock. Simmer and leave for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. You may need to add more stock towards the end to ensure the mixture doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan and burn. I ended up using about a total of 1.5 cups of stock.

Turn off the heat when the mixture is very integrated and has deepened in color a bit, and then sprinkle the flour over the top and stir through the mixture. Stir well to incorporate, and the residual heat from the mixture will allow any cooking liquid to reduce and thicken. You are after the consistency of a Bolognese sauce. If you need to add more stock, do. Add the peas, and let the residual heat defrost them. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Set the pan to the side to cool.

Heat your oven to 400°F and mix together egg wash ingredients.

After the filling mixture has cooled slightly, pull the dough out of the refrigerator and spoon the filling into the pan. Cut the puff pastry to fit the top of the pan. Place puff pastry on top of the filling and press down gently to prevent air pockets. Then trim excess pastry from edges. Press puff pastry edges and shortcrust edges together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash, and cut a few slits into the top crust to allow steam to escape during the baking process.

Bake the pie at 400°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking for additional 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Then remove them from the oven and allow pie to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Cooking from the Heart.