Easy Beef Pie with Potato Scones...

by: Nina Timm

I enjoy easy recipes….yes, I read the complicated ones, but when it comes to preparing food, I like to keep things simple!!!! The beef pie cannot be any easier and what is even more amazing, is that the oven does all the hard work for you.

The beef cooks slowly in the oven and all you have to do is prepare the scone dough in advance and keep it in the fridge. When you are ready, simply cut out the scones , place them on the beef and bake. Your family will arrive to the most amazing smell of this pie!!!

Beef Pie Recipe
Ingredients:

• 2 kg beef – cubed (I used sirloin)
• 70gr flour
• salt and pepper
• 30ml olive oil
• 30 ml butter
• 3 onions – chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic – chopped
• 200ml red wine
• 300ml beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 5ml dry thyme

For the potato scones

Ingredients:

• 200gr self-raising flour
• salt
• 150gr butter – cubed
• 2 boiled potatoes – mashed
• 1 egg

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Season the meat with salt and pepper and roll in the flour. Shake off the excess flour( I used a plastic bag to put the flour and meat in and just shake it round a bit). Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pot and brown the meat cubes, a few at a time, until all the beef is browned. Take the meat out of the post and add the butter, onions and garlic. Fry until soft and add the beef, wine, stock, bay leaves and thyme. Cover with the lid and place in the oven for about 1- 1 1/2 hour or until meat is soft. When cooked, dish out in a pie dish and let it cool slightly!
3. In the meantime make the scone dough!! Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and rub the cubed butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the mashed potato and mix until it forms a dough. Shape into a ball and cover with clingfilm. Keep the dough in the fridge until ready to use!!!. When ready to make your pie, roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out circles. Place the circles on the pie and egg wash before baking it in the pre-heated oven until golden and bubbly. I served my pie with sweet cooked carrots and steamed green beans!!!