Traditional meat and potato pie

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds 570 grams stewing steak (cubed)
• 1 1/2 lb / 680 grams potatoes (cubed)
• 2 medium onions (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons Sunflower oil (for browning the meat and onions)
• 1 1/2 cups / 200 grams self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup / 100 grams beef suet
• 2 ounce 60 grams butter
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Preparation ---

2. 2

   Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes, remove any fat and discard

3. 3

   Peel the onions and chop them coarsely (about 1-inch pieces)

4. 4

   Peel the potatoes and chop all except one into chunks. Grate the remaining potato. This will help thicken the stock. (You will need about 1 cup of grated potato)

5. 5

   Dissolve the stock cubes in 2 cups of boiling water and add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree Dijon mustard and salt.

6. 6

   --- Filling ---

7. 7

   Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and brown the cubed meat in batches. Place browned meat in a pressure cooker or saucepan and set aside.

8. 8

   Fry the onions on a moderate heat in the same pan that the meat was cooked in, for about 5 minutes until they have started to soften and have picked up any residue left over from the meat. Add them to the meat in the pressure cooker or saucepan.

9. 9

   Pour the prepared stock over the meat and onions and stir in the grated potato.

10. 10

    If using a pressure cooker - cook the meat on the highest setting for 30 minutes ('Stew' function on my Pressure King Pro)

11. 11

    If cooking in a saucepan on the stove-top - cover with a lid and simmer for 2 hours. Check occasionally and top up with extra stock if it starts to boil dry.

12. 12

    Add the cubed potatoes to the meat.

13. 13

    If using a pressure cooker - cook the meat and potatoes for a further 8 minutes on medium setting ('Meat' setting on my Pressure King Pro')

14. 14

    If cooking in a saucepan on the stove-top - cover with a lid and boil for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the gravy has thickened.

15. 15

    Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.

16. 16

    Tip the meat and potato mix into a large pie dish and allow to cool.

17. 17

    --- Suet Pastry ---

18. 18

    Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F

19. 19

    Place the flour, salt. suet and butter into in a large mixing bowl.

20. 20

    Rub the butter and suet into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.The suet will not break down completely, but this is normal and expected. It will melt into the pastry as it bakes.

21. 21

    Add sufficient water to make a soft dough. Do not add the water all at once. Use about 3/4 of the water and add the remainder as needed.

22. 22

    Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator to rest for half an hour.

23. 23

    Dust your work surface lightly with flour, and roll out the pastry into a rectangle large enough to cover your baking dish.

24. 24

    Lay the pastry carefully over the cooled filling in the pie dish. It's fine if the pastry rests on top of the meat and potato filling. The gravy will soak into the underside of the pastry as the pie bakes resulting in a delicious gravy-soaked pastry.

25. 25

    Use a fork to press the pastry aginst the edges of the pie dish. Trim away any excess pastry. Prick holes on top of the pastry with a fork and brush the pastry lightly with milk.

26. 26

    Place in the preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes until the pastry has turned golden brown.

27. 27

    Remove from oven and serve with mushy peas or your favourite vegetables.