Aussie Meat Pie

Method

1. Season 600g ground beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground pepper.
2. Dice 1 onion (200g) and 200g white button mushrooms.
3. Heat a pan with 3 tablespoons cooking oil and cook the beef over medium heat for about 5 minutes until it firms up.
4. Add the onion, the mushrooms and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and cook for another 5 minutes until everything softens.
5. Add 2 beef stock cubes, 200ml tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce, 1/4 teaspoon star anise powder and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, top up with a little water and simmer for 15 minutes until the beef is tender.
6. Slake 3 tablespoons all purpose flour in water, pour it gradually into the pan and stir until the filling thickens, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
7. Line the tin with the shortcrust pastry, trim it to the rim, press it snugly into the corners and dampen the edge.
8. Spoon the filling in and spread it level, then scatter 200g mozzarella cheese over the top.
9. Lay the puff pastry over, press the edges closed with a fork and cut a cross in the middle of the lid for steam.
10. Bake at 200 degrees C for about 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and evenly golden.

Tips

• Frozen shortcrust and puff pastry are sold at baking supply shops.
• A cupcake tin turns this into small individual pies.
• Without beef stock cubes, reduced beef bone broth does the seasoning.
• Let the filling cool completely before it goes into the pastry, since a hot filling softens the base.
• Cut the cross in the lid so steam escapes, or the top cracks in all directions.