James Martin's tender beef in beer with a crisp pastry crust makes a tasty treat for a family meal
Beef and black sheep ale pie
Method
1. Set the oven to 200°C/gas 6.
2. Season the flour with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the meat and toss to coat.
3. Heat the butter in a large casserole and fry the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan and then fry the beef until golden.
4. Add the bacon, vegetables, herbs, stock and beer and bring to a simmer on the stove.
5. At this point, cover with a lid or some kitchen foil and place in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes (alternatively cook on the hob for 1 hour and 30 minutes).
6. Once cooked, season the stew and spoon into an ovenproof pie dish. Brush the edge of the dish with beaten egg and top with the puff pastry. Pinch the pastry to the edges of the dish so that the pastry will stick to it and trim off any remaining pieces of the pastry from around the edge. Cut the trimmings out to resemble leaves and add them to the top of the pie.
7. Brush the top generously with the remaining egg and place on a baking tray. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown on the top. A baking tray placed underneath the dish will prevent the mixture bubbling over and making a mess on the bottom of the oven.
Cook's Notes: Mashem, pronounced "Mass em" just off the A1 near Thirsk has two breweries', Theaksons and The Black Sheep Brewery. It was also home to one of the largest sheep markets in the country, which was held in the towns large market square. Sadly that large trade has now gone but the breweries are going strong. Run by Paul Theakson, the Black Sheep Brewery is open to the public and has a shop and bistro and offers tours around the brewery itself and is worth a visit. They produce several beers of various strengths the strongest being Riggwelter, which in old Yorkshire slang means rigged or welted which means to a farmer that one of his sheep is upside down. A few pints of this stuff and you'd be rigged but it's the best beer I have tasted in a long time!
Cook: 2 hrs 10 min
Ingredients
25g Flour1 pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper
900g stewing beef steak, diced
3 tbsp Butter
4 slices smoked bacon, or streaky bacon lardons
2 white onion, sliced
2 garlic clove, crushed
2 medium carrot
2 sprigs Thyme, fresh
1 bay leaf
500ml beef stock
150g button mushrooms
400ml ale, from The Black Sheep Brewery
300g Puff pastry, ready made and rolled
1 egg, beaten
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