Beef Cheek Bourguignon Pie

Ingredients

• 2 + 2 tbsp oil
• 2 heaped tbsp plain flour
• 1.5 kg beef cheeks
• 2 leeks, cleaned and finely sliced
• 250 g streaky bacon, cut into a rough 2cm dice
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 750 ml red wine – I used a cabernet sauvignon
• 250 ml beef stock
• 2 tsp porcini powder
• 2 bay leaves
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 250 g button mushrooms
• sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 150 degrees celcius.

2. 2

   Coat the beef cheeks in plain flour.

3. 3

   Heat a cast iron Dutch oven on medium heat with 2 tbsp oil and seal each beef cheek. After sealing each beef cheek, pop them on a plate to rest while the others are rendered.

4. 4

   In the cast iron casserole, saute the leeks in the remaining oil on low heat till translucent. Add the bacon and cook for 2 -3 minutes. Add the garlic. Stir through and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the red wine, beef stock, porcini powder, and fresh herbs. Stir the liquid to combine making sure to get all those brown bits on the bottom of the pan! This is where the flavor comes from! Add the beef cheeks, pop on the lid, and bring the pot to a simmer.

6. 6

   Once simmering, pop the French oven into the preheated oven for 2.5 hours.

7. 7

   Remove the pot from the oven, add the mushrooms, give it a stir, and return the casserole to the oven for the remaining hour.

8. 8

   Remove from the oven. By now you should have a lovely slow-cooked beef bourguignon with a reduced gravy sauce. If your gravy needs to be reduced further, remove the beef cheeks from the pot and simmer the stew on the stovetop until you have the desired consistency, then re-add the beef cheeks.

9. 9

   Increase the oven temperature to 180 degrees celsius.

10. 10

    Season with sea salt and pepper and pop everything into an oven-proof pie dish.

11. 11

    Cover the casserole with puff pastry and pop back into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden.