MLA Beef and Red Wine Pies

Method

Place ground beef in a bowl and mix in a little oil. Heat a large fry pan.

Crumble half of the meat into the pan at a time and brown it, breaking up any lumps with a fork. Remove the first batch into a bowl, reheat the pan, and cook the remaining beef. Remove the second batch from the pan and set it aside with the first batch.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook until onion and mushrooms are soft, taking care not to burn the garlic. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Return the cooked meat to the pan and add the mustard, tomato paste, wine, stock and thyme leaves, stirring well to incorporate the scrapings from the bottom of the pan.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes or until thick.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Equally divide the mixture into four 1½ cup capacity ovenproof dishes. Cover with pastry, pinching edges to make a frill. Brush each pie with egg yolk. Bake 10-15 minutes to brown the pastry.

Serve with green vegetables.

Tips:

• Cook the beef in 2 batches to avoid stewing it in the juices. Be careful not to crowd the pan, and crumble the beef as you add it.
• As it cooks, break up the lumps further with a fork. Let the first side sear lightly before breaking it up.
• Tilt the pan slightly and spoon away the liquid – this helps the meat to brown. Using moderate heat will also help any water to evaporate without burning.