Culinary Corner: Cunard Steak & Ale Pie

This hearty classic tastes its best in Cunard’s Golden Lion Pub on a cool, crisp autumn day, but we can’t help but think it’d make a mighty fine alternative to the traditional Sunday roast too.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

•  1 red onion, peeled, halved and finely sliced
•  200g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
•  400g braising steak, cut into 2cm pieces and trimmed of fat
•  1 tbsp plain flour, seasoned
•  1 tsp tomato purée
•  300ml Cunard Black (Dark Revolution)
•  1 sprig of rosemary, leaves picked and chopped

For the pastry

• 250g self-raising flour
• 125g shredded beef suet
• 150ml ice water
• 1⁄2 tsp salt

METHOD

1. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions and mushrooms until golden, then remove. Toss the steak in the seasoned flour and fry until browned (you might need a drop more oil). Add the onions and mushrooms back to the pan along with the tomato purée, Cunard Black Stout and rosemary, stirring them together thoroughly. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 1.5 hours before leaving to cool.

2. To make the pastry, put the flour, suet, salt and a good grind of pepper in a bowl. Gradually mix in the water with a dinner knife until it makes a dough.

3. Bring together into a ball, wrap in cling-film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Roll the pastry out to a circle about 1cm thick and cut a quarter out of the circle and keep for the top. Use the rest of the pastry to line a well-buttered individual or family sized pudding basin crimping the ends together.

5. Fill the lined basin with the steak mix then re-roll the leftover pastry to make a lid. Crimp the edges together to seal.

6. Lay a sheet of buttered baking paper on top of a sheet of foil, fold a pleat in the middle and smooth down to sharpen the pleat.

7. Put the double sheet on top of the pudding baking paper-side down and mould to the top of the basin with your hands.