Cowherd's Pies

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground sirloin
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 teaspoons powdered beef bouillon
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 12 fluid ounces water
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 fluid ounces water, additional
• 2 cups plain flour
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ounces meat drippings
• 1 (12 ounce) package puff pastry
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon water

Recipe

• 1 ---to make the filling---.
• 2 place the meat into a pan, stir over low heat until it is well browned; drain off any surplus fat.
• 3 add crumbled stock cubes, 12 fluid ounces water, salt, pepper and nutmeg, stir until boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes, and then remove from the heat.
• 4 combine extra 2 fluid ounces water and flour, stir or whisk until the flour mixture is smooth.
• 5 add the flour mixture to the meat, stir until combined.
• 6 return to the heat, stir until the meat boils and thickens.
• 7 add soy sauce (to give brown colour), stir until combined.
• 8 simmer, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove from the heat and allow to become cold.
• 9 ---to make the pie bases---.
• 10 sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
• 11 place the water and drippings into a saucepan, stir until the drippings melt; remove from heat.
• 12 make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the liquid, stir until combined.
• 13 turn out a lightly floured surface, knead lightly.
• 14 roll out the pastry to line eight greased single-serving pie tins.
• 15 cut the excess pastry around the sides using a sharp knife.
• 16 fill the centres with the cold meat filing.
• 17 ---to make the pie crusts---.
• 18 roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface, cut out rounds for the tops of pies, using a saucer as a guide.
• 19 wet the edges of the base pastry, and then gently press the tops into place; trim around the edges with a sharp knife.
• 20 brush the tops with combined egg-yolk and water.
• 21 ---down to the wire---.
• 22 bake the pies at 425°f for 5 minutes or until golden brown, and thenreduce the heat to 350°f and cook for a further 10 minutes.
• 23 ---the extra pies---.
• 24 freeze unbaked pies individually.
• 25 to cook, allow to thaw completely and bake as above.