How To Make Ox Cheek Pie

1. Preheat oven 140°c fan assisted or 160°c without a fan (gas 3) or set the slow cooker.
2. Take a large, heavy-based frying pan, and add a little oil & fry the ox cheek on all sides then transfer to a casserole dish or slow cooker.
3. Next fry the vegetables in the same pan until lightly browned then add the Stout & Port if using, reduce by two thirds then add the herbs, mustard, Worcester sauce, puree & beef stock then reduce a little, thicken with a tablespoon cornflour mixed with a little cold water stirred into the boiling broth.
4. Pour the sauce over the ox cheek and vegetables then cover with a tight-fitting lid & place in the oven and cook for 3½ hours or until the meat is tender when pierced with a skewer.
5. When cooked pass off the sauce through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan & reduce to a rich & glossy.
6. Discard the vegetables & spices then shred the meat using two forks & mix with the sauce.

1. Choose one large or four small pie dishes & spoon in the filling.
2. Roll out pastry to 3mm thick then cut out pastry discs large enough to cover the pie dish, make an insertion in the centre of the pastry then layer over the pie.
3. Seal the edges to the pie dish, brush with egg glaze & bake in preheated oven 170°c fan assisted or 190°c without a fan (gas 5) for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden & the filling piping hot.

Note: the beef can be cooked in advance & assemble the pie when required.

• Homemade chips & brown sauce.