Ingredients
3 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
Steamed green beans, to serve
FILLING
1.2kg beef chuck steak, trimmed, cut into 3cm pieces
1⁄4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 onions, halved, thinly sliced
450g small button mushrooms, halved
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1⁄4 cup brandy
2 tblsps tomato paste
2 tblsps Dijon mustard
2 tblsps Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef stock
250g tub sour cream
1⁄4 cup plain flour
1⁄4 cup water
Method
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To make the filling, toss beef with 1 tblsp of the oil in a large bowl. Season.
2 Heat a large, flame-proof, casserole dish (16-cup capacity) over a high heat. Add beef in three batches. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until browned. Remove.
3 Add the remaining oil, onions, mushrooms and garlic to the dish over a medium heat. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the brandy. Boil for 1 minute.
4 Stir in the tomato paste, mustard and sauce. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock. Return beef. Mix well. Bring to boil. Cover with lid.
5 Gently boil, stirring twice during cooking, for 1 hour Remove lid. Gently boil, stirring every 10 minutes, for a further 30 minutes, or until beef is tender.
6 Stir in the sour cream, then blended our and water. Return to the boil, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until very thick. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stand for 20 minutes. Refrigerate, covered, until cold.
7 Grease a 25cm round x 5cm deep cake pan.
8 Place two pastry sheets on top of each other at different angles to form a star. Roll out large enough to line base and up side of pan. Lift and press into pan. Trim edge. Use trimmings to cover any gaps. Spoon in filling.
9 Roll out remaining pastry sheet until large enough to cover pie. Place over filling. Trim. Twist pastry edge to seal. Cut a small cross in the centre.
10 Cook in a very hot oven (220C) for 25 minutes. Reduce temperature to hot (200C). Cook for a further 20 minutes, covering loosely with foil if over-browning, or until pastry is golden brown. Remove. Stand for 15 minutes before removing from pan.
11 Using a serrated knife, cut pie into wedges. Serve with steamed beans.
