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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.
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Add the flour, salt, and cold butter and lard 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, stir-fry the diced steak until it has some colour, then add the onions and fry those until soft.
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Transfer the meat and onions to a medium size saucepan.
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Add the beef stock to the pan, season with salt and white pepper.
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Next to go in is the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, red wine and bay leaves.
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Bring to a low boil, get the lid on the pan, reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 1 hour.
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Dice your potatoes to 1cm square cubes.
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When there’s only 10 minutes left on the timer, add your potatoes to the pan and mix them in.
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Bring it back to a simmer, and cook for a further 10 minutes.
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Once the meat is tender, add the cornflour 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 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 beef filling, and level it off.
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Roll out the other piece of pastry to the same thickness as the base, 3mm. roll it up onto the rolling pin.
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At this point preheat your oven to 170°C / 340°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 pie.
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Brush the whole surface with the egg-wash.
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Optional step. You 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 50 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 rest for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
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Get it out of the pie tin, slice and serve with mashed potatoes or chips/fries, mushy peas n gravy.
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Enjoy.
Method
Ingredients
- The Filling:
- 500g / 18oz Stewing beef (lean & diced)
- 400g / 14oz Potatoes (diced small)
- 1 Onion (medium size diced small)
- 400ml Beef stock
- 15g / 1tbls Tomato Paste or Puree
- A splash of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Bay leaves
- Salt & White Pepper
- 30ml / 2tbls Cooking oil
- Splash of red wine (optional)
- 2tsp corn flour/starch a little water
- 1 Egg & a dash of milk, (egg-wash)
- The pastry:
- 330g / 11½oz Plain / all-purpose flour
- 85g / 3oz Butter (cold)
- 85g / 3oz Lard (cold)
- 60 to 70ml Water (ice cold)
- 8g /1tsp Salt
- Making the Pastry:
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.
Quality Pastry Brush (Natural bristles)
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