Beef flank, ale and oyster pies recipe | EUROtoday

Pies are a good way to make use of cheaper but full-flavoured meat cuts, reminiscent of flank and shin of beef and ox cheeks. Tucking in a couple of oysters provides a contact of luxurious. Buying a selected minimize of braising beef will make sure you get only one sort, so it cooks constantly.

Timings

Prep time: 45 minutes, plus cooling and resting time

Cook time: 3 hours

Serves

4

Ingredients

For the filling

• 1kg trimmed flank or shin of beef, minimize into tough 3cm cubes
• 2 tbsp plain flour, plus additional for coating
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 30g butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 tsp tomato purée
• 200ml darkish ale, reminiscent of porter or Guinness
• 1.5 litres dark-meat inventory
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1-2 tsp cornflour (non-compulsory)
• 12 giant oysters, 8 shucked, 4 left within the half-shell

For the pastry

• 225g self-raising flour, plus additional for dusting
• 85g shredded beef suet
• 60g butter, chilled and coarsely grated
• 1 medium egg, overwhelmed

For the parsley crust

• an enormous knob of butter
• 2 tbsp contemporary white breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. Season the meat and evenly flour it.
2. Heat just a little oil in a big, heavy-based frying pan and fry the meat in 2-3 batches over a excessive warmth till browned, then put aside on a plate.
3. Melt the butter in one other heavy-based pan and fry the onion and garlic till evenly colored.
4. Add the two tbsp flour and tomato purée. Stir over a low warmth for a minute or so, then slowly add the ale and inventory, stirring to keep away from any lumps.
5. Add the meat, together with the thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cowl and simmer gently for two hours, or till the meat is tender.
6. When the meat is cooked, the sauce ought to have thickened to a gravy-like consistency. If not, combine the cornflour with 1 tbsp water, add to the sauce and simmer, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Leave to chill.
7. To make the pastry, combine the flour, suet, butter and 1 tsp salt collectively in a big bowl and make a effectively within the centre. Mix in sufficient water (about 150ml) to type a dough and knead for a minute.
8. Spoon the meat filling into 4 particular person pie dishes or 1 giant dish, in order that it comes as much as 1cm under the rim.
9. Roll the pastry out on a floured floor to 7-8mm thickness. Cut out 4 discs to make pie lids (or 1 giant lid), 2cm bigger all the way in which across the pie dish(es).
10. Brush the sides of the pastry with overwhelmed egg. Lay the pastry over the filling, urgent the egg-washed sides on to the rim of the dish(es). Cut a 2cm circle within the centre of every lid however depart it in place. Set apart to relaxation in a cool place for half-hour.
11. Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan/gasoline mark 6.
12. Brush the pie(s) with overwhelmed egg and bake for 30-35 minutes (or 40-50 minutes for a big pie) till golden.
13. Meanwhile, for the parsley crust, soften the butter in a pan, combine within the breadcrumbs and parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
14. Once the pie(s) are prepared, take away the pastry circle(s) and pop within the shucked oysters. Return to the oven
    for 10 minutes. In the meantime, warmth the grill.
15. Scatter the parsley crust over the oysters of their half-shell and grill till golden. Place over the pie gap(s) and serve.