Recipe - Sports Pies

Yes I know, this recipe has got a bit of a corny name. The reason for that is that I was asked if I could come up with a recipe for Lurpak during the National Pie Week so I thought I'd come up with a bit different name to stand out.

The name comes from one of the uses I can think of for these pies. Make the filling the day before, start watching the game, prepare the pies in half time and then you can eat them straight after the match is over.

What I aimed for was a pie with a very thick and comforting filling. Cooking it this low and slow really made that happen.

It might seem like a big effort for just some pies, but trust me - take the time and you'll find that it was well worth it. It is big words but I think I got close to the quality of the meat pies I tasted down under.

Have a look here for some more of the recipes from Lurpak: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lurpak/165341630339. For a direct link to 'my' recipe have a look here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3497637&id=165341630339

I must say that I feel a bit proud having my recipe on what looks like an 'official' Lurpak ad, complete with the butter package and all. Well, I better get over to the recipe before I start misting up... ;) 
 
Ingredients (makes 6 - 8 pies)
150 ml plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
Butter
Vegetable oil
1 kg of stewing steak, diced
3 onions, roughly chopped
3 portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
10 - 12 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
2 bay leaves
A couple of twigs of thyme, tied together
750ml beef stock
250ml Newcastle Brown Ale
Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato puree
4 - 6 sheets of puff pastry
6 large ramekins or individual pie dishes

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 130c.

Mix the flour, salt, pepper, paprika and ground cumin in a large bowl. Toss in the stewing steak, make sure to cover all pieces with flour, shaking off any excess.

Heat a knob of butter and some vegetable in a large oven safe casserole dish with lid. Fry the steak in batches until they start to brown. Move the fried pieces to a plate while you finish frying off all the steak.

Once all the steak is fried you can return the reserved steaks. Add in the onions, mushrooms, bay leaves, garlic and thyme. Stir in the beef stock, beer, a good splash or three of Worcestershire sauce and the tomato puree.

Give it all a couple of good stirs before putting the lid on it and shoving it into the oven.

Cook in the oven for about 5 - 6 hours or until the liquid becomes thick, almost gravy like. Once this stage is reached, remove the pie mixture from the oven (You can pause here and finish off the pies the next day if you wish. Just chill the pie mixture and continue the day after.)

Increase the oven temperature to 180c.

Grease the ramekins with butter and push in the puff pastry. Fill with pie mixture and fold over the remaining pastry.

Cook in the oven for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the pastry is nice and golden and the filling is hot.

Enjoy!