ESPRESSO STEAK RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Place a large casserole pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil and the butter. Peel, finely slice and add the onions, then pick, finely chop and add the rosemary and thyme, along with the bay leaves. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the onions are soft and turning golden, stirring occasionally.
  2. Slice the beef into rough 2cm strips, then clean and slice the mushrooms. Add both to the pan along with the tomato purée and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
  3. Stir in the balsamic, stout, flour and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the meat is tender.
  4. Meanwhile, for the pastry, put the flour and a good pinch of salt into a bowl with the suet, cube and add the butter, then use your thumb and forefingers to rub the fat into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  5. Slowly stir in 125ml of ice-cold water, then use your hands to gently bring it together into a ball, but don’t overwork it. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for later.
  6. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
  7. Ladle the stew into pie dishes – you can make a collection of small pies, or one or two larger ones – then finely grate or crumble over the cheese.
  8. Roll out the pastry on a clean flour-dusted surface, so it’s slightly bigger than your pie dishes. Eggwash the edges of the dishes, then carefully place the pastry on top, trimming off any overhang. Pinch the edges to seal.
  9. Decorate the tops with any offcuts, if you like, then brush with a little more egg. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the pastry is beautifully golden. Delicious served with steamed seasonal greens.

Steps:

• 1. Slice the beef into 2.5cm chunks, then toss with the flour and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
  2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil into a large pan on a medium heat, then brown the beef all over. Remove to a plate, leaving the pan on the heat.
  3. Peel and roughly chop the onions, carrots and celery. Add to the pan with the bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes, or until starting to soften, stirring occasionally. Remove to the plate with the meat.
  4. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and chop into 1cm cubes. Pour the wine into the empty pan and leave it to reduce by half, then add the meat and softened veg back to the pan, along with the potatoes.
  5. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender, adding splashes of water to loosen, if needed. Once cooked, season to perfection and leave to cool.
  6. For the pastry, put the flour and a good pinch of sea salt into a food processor, cube and add the butter, then pulse until just combined. Pick and roughly chop the herb leaves, add to the processor with 100ml of ice-cold water, and pulse again until it forms a rough dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  7. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3 and lightly oil a 20cm loose-bottomed round cake tin.
  8. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry on a clean flour-dusted surface to 2mm thick. Loosely roll it around the rolling pin and unroll it over the cake tin, gently easing it into the shape of the tin. Patch up any holes and trim the edges.
  9. Spoon in two-thirds of the cooled filling (freeze the rest and serve as a stew another day). Crumble over the Stilton and brush the pastry edges with beaten egg.
  10. Roll out the remaining pastry so it’s slightly bigger than the tin and top the pie, crimping the edges to seal. Make a small incision in the centre so steam can escape. Use any spare pastry to decorate the pie, if you like.
  11. Eggwash the top, then bake at the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the pastry is golden and the pie is piping hot. Leave to stand for 30 minutes, then serve up. Delicious with creamy mash, extra gravy and steamed seasonal greens.