Name: Aussie meat pies
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 3 h 40 min
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Yield: 6 pies
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 1.25 kg beef chuck, cut into 2.5 cm cubes; ½ tsp salt; ½ tsp black pepper; 2–3 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, diced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 5 tbsp plain flour; 315 ml (1¼ cups) low-sodium beef stock; 750 ml (3 cups) dry full-bodied red wine; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper; 2 bay leaves; 3 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed (or homemade); 3 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed; 1 egg, lightly whisked

Method

Season beef. Brown in batches in hot oil until well coloured; set aside.
Cook onion and garlic 3 minutes. Stir in flour, then gradually add stock. Add wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire, pepper and bay.
Return beef, cover and simmer gently 1 hr 45 min. Uncover and simmer 30–45 min until beef is fork-tender and gravy is thickish but still saucy. Cool completely (overnight is best).
Heat oven to 180°C. Line 6 × 10 cm pie tins with shortcrust (do not stretch). Blind-bake 20 minutes with weights, then 5 minutes more until base is dry.
Fill with cold filling, mound slightly. Top with puff pastry slightly larger than the rims, egg-wash the join, seal, egg-wash lids, cut a 1 cm steam slit.
Bake 30 minutes until deep golden and puffed. Eat hot with tomato sauce.

Tip: Brown the beef hard in small batches — that is the flavour of the gravy. Do not reduce the filling too dry; it thickens as it cools. Tomato sauce on a hot pie is the Aussie way.