Pepper steak pie

Pepper Steak Pie

500g rump steak cut into large chunks

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp paprika/smoked paprika

1 tsp barbeque spice

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 stock cube dissolved in 300ml water 

1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in ¼ cup water

500g puff pastry

1 egg whisked for brushing

Rub the rump chunks with all spices. 

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a non-stick pan, brown beef cubes on all sides.

Slowcooker method: Transfer beef to slowcooker with bay leaves and stock. Turn on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

At this point I browned a handful of sliced mushrooms and ½ chopped onion in the same pan with salt and pepper and added to the slowcooker mixture.

Stovetop: lower heat after browning, add stock and bay leaves to the pan and simmer over low heat for about an hour until steak is soft and cooked through. Add mushrooms & onion (optional) before browning steak.

Once steak is cooked and a little water still remains, thicken with 1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in ¼ cup water. Simmer for 5 minutes until gravy thickens slightly.

Roll out puff pastry, cut to fit pan.

Fill with steak and mushroom mixture. Cut strips and crisscross over the top to form a lattice or place another pastry round over the top of the filling.

Brush with eggwash.

Bake at 180°C for 30-35 minutes until the pastry has puffed and the top is golden brown.