Servings:

2-4 depending on hunger or poverty

Level of difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

1 onion
500g diced stewing steak
1 - 1.5kg potatoes
Quantities and ratios of meat and potatoes can be varied according to poverty levels.
beef stock cube(1 or2)
black peppr & salt if required
250g self raising flour
80g cooking marge/spread
80g lard or veg fat

Method

Peel and cut potatoes in 1 inch cubes and put in a large brown earthenware pot.
Peel onion and slice - add to pot.
Cut meat into 1 inch chunks and add to pot with one or two beef stock cubes crumbled in.
Add salt (if required) and pepper.
Cover ingredients with water , mix up gently to distribute ingredients evenly.
Cover with a lid or foil.
Put in the oven for about 2 - 3 hours at 190C. until meat is tender.
Check periodically that it has not boiled dry.
Meanwhile make pastry using flour and fat with a little water to bind.
Quantities are not vital but the fat should be 2/3 the weight of flour.
The pastry should not be rolled out but put in a ball on a floured plate and pressed with cooled hands into a circle 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick with a diameter slightly larger than the cooking pot.
When meat is tender remove the lid, thicken with cornflour and water or gravy thickener add the pastry top and return to oven for 20 mins or so or until the pastry is cooked.
Serve hot with pickled red cabbage ( some heathen Lancastrians insist on using Tomato Ketchup!).
Can also be made using Quorn chunks and Veggie fats and stock cubes for vegetarians.
Goes down very well with a drop of good real ale( although obviously not in Methodist Chapel rooms where Vimto was the tipple of choice).