This recipe is a long cook but not a difficult one and most of the cooking time is hands off. After browning the meat you essentially throw everything in an oven dish and then cook it for 4 hours.  This is perfect to start either the day before or early on in the day as then there is a couple of hours cooling time.  

I like beef shin for this, beef short ribs are also good.  Don’t use lean meat, you need the flavour from the fat.   

* The filling is enough for 9 pies if you use 3 sheets of each pastry, if you want to only make 6 pies, just buy 2 of each pastry sheets and use the leftover filling as a nice topper for jacket potatoes. 

You can make this into one large family pie, just use a 23cm loose bottomed deep tart tin.   

Ingredients
25g softened butter 
Shortcrust pasty - either as below or 2 or 3* x 320g ready rolled 
2 or 3* x 320g ready rolled all butter puff
pastry 
1 egg yolk 
1 tsp water 

Ingredients for the meat filling 
2 tbsps oil 
2½kg bone in beef shin (or 1 ½kg bone out) 
300g onion, finely chopped 
2 tbsps tomato puree 
2 tbsps flour 
350ml red wine 
750ml boiling water mixed with 1 tbsp Vegemite or marmite 
2 tbsps tomato sauce 
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
1 tbsp brown sauce 
2 Knorr rich beef stock pots 
1 tbsp 2 bay leaves 
12 grinds of black pepper 

Ingredients for the pastry 
60ml cold water 
250g cold butter, grated 
2 eggs, beaten 
500g plain flour 
10g fine salt 

Equipment needed 
6 - 9 x Pie tins - 8cm (diameter) x 12.7cm (width) x 3cm (height) 

Method
Preheat the oven to 160c. 

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and brown the beef all over until dark golden. If using pieces, cook in at least 4 batches so as not to overcrowd the pan - you want the beef to sear not stew, add extra oil if needed as you go.  Put the beef into an oven dish once browned. 

Into the frying pan put the onion and a pinch of salt, stir and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add the tomato puree and cook for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste.  Add the flour, stir and cook for 1 minute, stirring all the time.  Slowly add the wine, stirring as you go, cook until thick then add the Vegemite water slowly, stirring all the time.  Stir through the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. 

Pour the sauce over the beef and then cover the oven dish with foil making sure it is sealed.  Put into the oven for 3-4 hours until fork soft, turning the meat every hour or so. 

When the beef is cooked, check the seasoning, remove from the oven and leave for 15 minutes with the foil off.  Remove the beef from the gravy and strain 3/4 of the gravy into a bowl large enough for the meat.  Take the meat off of the bone, discarding any gristle you may come across and shredding the beef with 2 forks as you go, putting the shredded meat into cooking liquor as you shred it, you don’t want the beef to dry out.  Once all of the beef has been shredded add the remaining gravy if needed, you really want the meat to be completely covered in gravy but not swimming in it.  Leave for half an hour or so to cool on

Take one sheet of your puff pastry from the fridge and cut out 3 circles, 1 cm larger than the pie tin. Put back into the fridge to chill. Get the next sheet and repeat. If you are making 9 pies then repeat one more time. 

When you are ready to continue, generously butter the pie tins.  Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 3mm and cut then cut out 6 or 9 x 15cm rounds, making sure the pastry circle is big enough to line the tins.  If you are using shop bought, you should get 3 circles from each piece of pastry.  Very carefully put the pastry into the pie tin and ease into the edges without stretching or pulling the pastry as you do not want it to shrink.  Leave it overhanging at the top and put into the fridge for half an hour. 

Make the glaze by mixing the egg yolk and tsp of water. 

Preheat the oven to 190c, putting a baking tray into the oven. 

Remove the pastry-lined moulds from the fridge. Spoon the chilled pie filling into the pastry case, pushing down as you go and filling  almost to the top, you want these to be full.  Tap to level the surface. Repeat with all tins.  Carefully brush the glaze on to the edge of the base pastry case and repeat with all 6.

Get your puff pastry out of the fridge and lay a circle over the top pie tin, very lightly pushing so the top and bottom are pushed together.  Take a knife and run around the edge of your pie tin cutting off the excess pastry.  Brush with the top with the egg wash. Poke a sharp knife into the top middle so any steam can escape - this will prevent the pie spilling over and the top coming off. 

Place the tins on to the baking tray and bake the pies for around 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown, turning the baking tray around 20 minutes in. 

Cover in ketchup and bite, taking care not to drip scalding hot gravy on your chin.