Slow Cooked Longhorn Beef Pie

To celebrate National Pie Week, our Estate Chef Tom Parry has created this delicious recipe using estate reared Raby Longhorn beef.

This rich slow cooked Longhorn Beef pie is best prepared in advance and is the perfect dish to enjoy after a long walk. Simply prepare the beef filling and keep in the fridge, then add the pastry topping when ready to bake.

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time:  3 hours

Serves: One large pie feeds six people 

Ingredients

• 900g     Diced Longhorn Beef steak
• 15g          Butter
• 4g            Sweet Paprika (not hot)
• 30g         Plain flour
• 28g         Olive oil
• 250g      Red onion, sliced into rings
• 2              Garlic cloves finely chopped
• 400g     Sliced Button mushrooms
• 3 stalk   Celery (cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 100g       Carrot (cut into 1 inch dice pieces)
• 700ml   Beef Stock
• 4g            Chopped fresh thyme
• 4g            Chopped fresh parsley
• 30g         Tomato purée
• 30g          Dijon mustard
• 150ml     Crème fraiche
• 500g       All butter puff pastry (shop bought)
• 1                Egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 30g          Red Currant Jelly
• Sea Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas mark 3.
2. Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper. Put the flour on a large plate or tray, and season. Coat one-third of the meat in the flour. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan until hot and fry the floured meat over a medium-high heat to seal. When the meat is just brown, remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer to a flameproof casserole dish. Divide the remaining meat into 2 batches and repeat the flouring and browning, adding more oil if needed.
3. Add the butter and onion to the frying pan, with a little more oil if necessary, and fry for 3 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add the celery, carrots, mushrooms, garlic and paprika and stir to mix, then fry for 2 minutes before tipping the vegetables on top of the meat in the casserole dish.
4. Pour the beef stock, tomato puree and add the redcurrant jelly into the casserole dish. Mix well and bring to the boil, stirring. Cover the casserole and cook for 2½ hours or until the meat is tender. Remove from the oven, add Dijon mustard, taste the gravy for seasoning and leave to cool. If you prefer, the filling can be transferred to a slow cooker and cooked on a medium heat setting for 4 hours.
5. Fold in the crème fraiche to the cooled mixture, which will give the pie filling a creamy richness.
6. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas mark 7. Roll out the pastry and cut out a lid and a strip for the lip of the pie dish. Stir the parsley and thyme into the filling, then transfer the meat and vegetables to the pie dish using a large spoon, together with enough of the gravy to come just below the lip of the pie dish. Brush water around the lip of the pie dish then cut the pastry strip into smaller pieces and place the strips on the moistened lip. Moisten the strips with water, cover with the lid and press to seal.
7. Trim and crimp the edge with a fork, then brush the pastry lid with beaten egg to glaze. Use the trimmings to make decorations and re-glaze with as much of the remaining egg as needed. Cut a small slit in the centre of the pie lid.
8. Bake the pie for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry has risen and is golden brown. If you have any gravy left over, reheat until bubbling, pour it into a jug, and serve alongside the pie. Serve the pie with new potatoes a selection of seasonal spring vegetables.