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Beef and ale pie with chorizo
Serves 4-6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 4tbsp vegetable oil
- 4tbsp plain flour
- 11⁄2tsp table salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 800g braising steak, cut into 2cm chunks
- 200g small shallots, peeled
- 2tbsp tomato purée
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1⁄4 bunch of thyme, tied together with kitchen string
- 2 bay leaves
- 150g cooking chorizo, skin removed and sausage meat diced into 1cm chunks
- 200ml ale
- 600ml beef stock
- 1tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1x320g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
- 2tbsp coriander, finely chopped
- 2tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
Method
Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/ Gas 3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large, ovenproof casserole dish over a high heat. Mix the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt and a pinch of black pepper together, then toss the steak in the flour and shake off any excess.
When the oil is hot, add a batch of the steak and fry until well browned. Remove the steak and set it aside, brown the remaining beef, then remove it and set it aside with the rest.
Add the remaining vegetable oil to the casserole dish over a medium-high heat, add the shallots and remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt and fry until golden, then add the tomato purèe, garlic, thyme and bay leaves, and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the ale to the pan and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the dish with a wooden spoon to maximise flavour. When the alcohol has reduced to a syrup, add the beef stock and paprika. Simmer over a medium-high heat for 15 minutes to reduce the liquid, then return the beef to the pan. Stir, cover and place in the oven for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, roll out the puff pastry to fit a pie dish around 24cm in diameter, with a 1cm overhang. Place it back in the fridge on a baking sheet for 30 minutes to rest. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and increase the temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Remove the thyme and bay leaves then gently stir in the chopped parsley and coriander. Spoon the casserole mixture into the dish.
Brush the edges of the chilled puff pastry with the egg yolk and cover the pie, pressing the pastry into the edges of the pie dish to seal. Cut a hole in the centre of the pastry then brush all over with the egg yolk. Place the pie back in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden colour. Serve immediately.
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