INGREDIENTS FOR THE STEAK AND MUSHROOM FILLING
Braising steak 700g
Lard (second best is butter) 55g
Plain flour 40g
Large carrots 5
Large onion 1
Mushrooms 110g
Sweet (bell) pepper (optional) 1
Beef stock (fresh or 1 OXO cube) 600ml
Tomato purée 2 level tablespoon
Garlic cloves 2
Olive oil 2 tablespoons
Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon
Salt and pepper To taste
INGREDIENTS FOR SHORTCRUST PASTRY
Cooking margarine (e.g. Stork), 5g
Vegetable fat / lard (e.g. Cookeen) 55g
Plain flour 220 grams
Water 3 tablespoons
Remove excess fat from the braising steak and cut into cubes
Peel and top and tail the carrots then slice
Remove the seeds and white pith from the centre of the sweet pepper and roughly chop
Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic
Slice the mushrooms
Method
Melt the lard in the large frying pan. Whilst it is melting pour the flour over the chopped braising steak and mix together with your hands.
Make sure all the steak is covered by the flour. The flour on the meat will give a thick gravy later on.
Braising steak being fried When all the lard is melted, put the flour covered steak in the frying pan and fry until the meat is well-browned (about 7 minutes).
Use a slatted ladle to remove the meat from the frying pan, leaving any fat in the pan. Turn the heat down low. Add the carrots, peppers, onions and garlic to the frying pan.
Cook on a low heat for about five minutes turning the vegetables frequently to ensure they are all lightly coated in some fat. A little extra fat may be required at this stage.
Return the steak to the frying pan with the vegetables. Add the stock, tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce (Lee and Perrins). Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and bring the mixture to a boil.
Turn down to a low setting, cover with a pan lid and simmer for two and a half hours until the steak is tender.
The frying pan must be covered whilst cooking to preserve the moisture and prevent the meat drying out on the top. If you don't have a large enough covered frying pan, the filling can be cooked in a covered casserole dish in the oven at 170°C / 325°F.
Stir the mixture at least twice whilst cooking to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan / casserole dish. When cooked, transfer the mixture to the final casserole dish (if not cooked in a casserole dish) and leave to cool for at least 1½ hours, preferably 3 to 4 hours.
The casserole dish we used measured 25cm x 16cm by 5 cm high (9.5 in x 6.5in by 2in high).
Make Pastry.
Now take the pie filling and pour it into the casserole dish (if not already in there).
Add two tablespoons of oil to a frying pan and fry the mushrooms at a medium heat for three minutes. Place the cooked mushrooms on the pie filling and mix into it well with a fork or spoon.
Turn your oven on now so that it's pre-heated ready to cook later on. Heat settings are 220°C / 425°F / Gas Mark 7.
Dampen the top edges of the casserole dish with a little water. This will help the pastry stick to it.
The idea is to pick up the rolled out pastry and put it in the pie bowl over the top of the steak and mushroom filling.
First, lightly roll 50% or so of the flattened pastry over the rolling pin. Then support the rest of the pastry with your hand and transfer it to the top of the steak and mushroom pie dish.
Tuck the pastry down at the edge of the pie and remove the excess pastry using the blunt edge of a knife.
Using both hands or a fork, 'crimp' the pastry round the edge of the pie to obtain an attractive finish.
Finally make 2 holes with a knife in the top of the pastry to allow the steam to come out during cooking and prevent the pastry top going soggy.
Lightly brush the top of the pastry with a little milk to give it a light brown colour when cooked.
Put the pie in the pre-heated oven (220°C / 425°F / Gas Mark 7) and leave it cooking at that temperature for 10 minutes. Then turn down the heat to 190C / 375F / Gas Mark 5 and cook for a further 30 minutes.
Any leftover pie will keep in the fridge for 24 hours and it microwaves well to reheat.
Taken from http://www.cookuk.co.uk/meat/beef/steak_mushroom_pie.htm
