Beef Cheek Pie

NZ Woman's Weekly 19/8/2011

Wendyl Nissen

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In the old days, ox cheeks were unceremoniously thrown in any old stew and cooked for a very long time

Ingredients

1	Onion, finely chopped
1 clove	Fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp	Olive oil
1	Carrot, peeled and diced
1 stick	Celery, diced
1	Salt & freshly ground pepper, seasoned with salt and pepper in a bag
1 kg	Beef cheeks, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ cup	Red wine
1 Ltr	Beef stock, or chicken stock or water to cover meat (about 1 litre)
1	Bouquet garni, (A bouquet garni is a bundle of fresh herbs tied together that's put in stews and soups)
2 sheets	Puff pastry, frozen

Directions

Gently saute the onion and garlic in olive oil, then add the chopped carrot and celery. Cook over moderate heat until fragrant and the onion is clear.
Fill a bag with the seasoned flour, then add the beef cheeks and shake to coat. Place beef pieces a handful at a time into the pot and brown gently.
When meat is browned, add wine, then stock or water to cover.
Add the bouquet garni and put on the pot lid. Cook on the stovetop on low heat for three hours, or put in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes on high.
When the meat is cooked, roll out one thawed pastry sheet to fit your pie dish.
Grease pie dish with butter and place pastry inside.
Add the beef cheek filling (remove the bouquet garni first). Put a lid of pastry on the top, sealing and crimping the edges all around.
Cut a few slashes in the top and brush with beaten egg.
Cook at 220 degC for 10 to 15 minutes, until the pastry is brown and puffy.
Serve with mashed potatoes and peas.

Note: Puff pastry likes to be cold when you use it so only thaw the sheets for 10 minutes maximum before you start using it. It should still be quite cold and stiff when you begin rolling.