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By far the best way to make shortcrust pastry is to use a food processor. It’s very quick and easy, but more importantly, it keeps all the ingredients cold, which is essential when making shortcrust pastry.
2
Add the flour, salt, and cold butter to the processor with the blade tool attached.
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Pulse the machine until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency; this should only take 30 to 45 seconds.
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Next step; set the machine running while slowly pouring in the ice-cold water.
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Once the pastry comes together and starts rolling around the machine, it’s done (see the video), once again, this should only take 30 to 45 seconds to complete.
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Once done, remove it from the machine.
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You should now have around 560g / 20oz of pastry.
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Divide it into 2 pieces, 1st, 300g / 11oz for the base of the pie, and 2nd, 260g / 9oz for the top or lid of the pie.
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Wrap each piece in cling film, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using it.
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In a large frying pan, on a high heat, add the olive oil and stir-fry the diced steak until it has some colour, try not to overcrowd the pan, so do this in 2 or 3 batches, transferring the meat to a medium size saucepan as you go.
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Deglaze the frying pan with a glass of red wine, then add it to the saucepan.
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Get the saucepanon to a medium to high
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Add the beef stock and bring it to a boil, then add the tomato paste, stir it in until it
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Season the mixture with salt and black pepper.
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Reduce the heat to very low, get the lid on the pan, simmer for 1 hour.
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Once the meat is tender, mix the cornflour/cornstarch with the cold water.
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Add the cornflour/cornstarch mixture, a little at a time, until the filling has thickened, your filling is done.
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Allow it to completely cool, this is best made the day before and refrigerated overnight.
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You can however,cool it enough to use by floating the pan in a sink of cold water, this normally takes around 30 minutes.
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Beat the egg and a dash of milk in a container (egg-wash).
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Grease a suitable pie tin, see the video for the tin that I use.
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Roll out the larger of the 2 pastries, to 3mm/⅛in thick, once rolled, line the greased pie tin with it, leave plenty pastry hanging over the rim.
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Fill the pastry case with the now cold filling, and level it
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Roll out the other piece of pastry to the same thickness as the base, 3mm/⅛in. roll it up onto the rolling pin.
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At this point preheat your oven to 160°C / 320°F / Gas mark 3.
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Brush egg-wash all around the lip of the pastry base.
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Line it up, and unroll the pastry lid over top of the pie base.
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Gently press it down with the palm of your hands.
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Using your forefingers and thumbs, crimp all around the edge of the pie, (see the video for this technique).
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Trim off the excess pastry, and re-crimp to tidy it all up.
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Cut a few vent holes in the middle of the
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Brush the whole surface with the egg-wash.
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OptionalYou can add various patterns and shapes to the pie using up any spare leftover pastry, (see the video for an example)
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Get the pie into the preheated oven, bake for 45 minutes.
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Halfway through turn the pie 180° for even baking.
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Once done, remove it from the oven, allow it restfor 10 minutes on a wire rack.
37
Get it out of the pie tin, slice and serve with mashed potatoes or chips, mushy peas n gravy.
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Enjoy.
Method
Ingredients
- Pie Filling:
- 750g / 26½oz Lean Stewing Beef (Diced)
- 570mla / 1pt Beef stock
- 165mls / 1 Glass Red wine
- Salt n Black Pepper
- 2tsp in Corn flour/starch
- 20mls Cold water
- 30mls / 2tbls Olive oil
- 1tbls Tomato Puree
- Pastry ingredients:
- 330g / 11½oz Plain or All-purpose flour
- 85g / 3oz Cold Butter
- 85g / 3oz Lard or a solid vegetable fat
- 60mls / 4tbls Cold Water
- 8g / 1tsp Salt
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Loose Base Fluted Pie Tin (23cm / 9in)
Adjustable Stainless Steel Rolling Pin
Skeleton style Oven Gloves. Rated for up to and not beyond 260°C / 500°F.
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