Beef, red wine and cavolo nero pies recipe (2024)

• 60 gm butter, coarsely chopped
• 1.4 kg oyster blade, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 4cm pieces
• 2 tbsp plain seasoned flour
• 8 golden shallots, sliced
• 100 gm piece prosciutto end, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 750 ml robust red wine
• 400 gm canned whole tomatoes, slightly broken up
• 3 sprigs each of thyme and rosemary
• 600 gm cavolo nero, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp mild extra-virgin olive oil
• For brushing: eggwash

• 250 gm organic unbleached plain flour
• 1 tbsp finely grated parmesan
• 200 gm cold butter, coarsely chopped

Main

• 1

  For parmesan rough puff pastry, sieve flour and a pinch of fine salt onto a work surface, add parmesan, scatter butter over the top and cut butter into flour with a pastry scraper until roughly mixed (there should still be small lumps of butter in the mixture). Make a well in the centre, add 100ml iced water and use pastry scraper to just combine. Bring dough together with the heel of your hand, form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (1 hour). Roll out on a lightly floured surface to form a 1.5cm-thick rectangle. Fold short ends in to meet in the centre. Fold in half to form a book-fold. Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate until just firm (20-30 minutes). Repeat rolling and folding twice more. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest in refrigerator (30 minutes), then roll out on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick, cut out four rounds large enough to cover four 500ml pie dishes, then refrigerate rounds until required.

• 2

  Meanwhile, heat butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Toss beef in flour, then add to pan in batches and turn occasionally until browned (4-5 minutes). Transfer to a casserole and set aside. Add shallot, prosciutto and two-thirds of garlic to pan, stir occasionally until golden (3-5 minutes), add to beef. Deglaze pan with wine, then add wine to casserole with tomato and herbs, cover and stir occasionally over low heat until beef is tender (1½-2 hours). Strain sauce (discard herb stalks), transfer liquid to a saucepan, cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half (20-30 minutes), then return sauce to beef and set aside to cool.

• 3

  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200C. Cook cavolo nero in boiling salted water until bright green (1-2 minutes). Drain, pressing to remove excess liquid. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add remaining garlic and cavolo nero, stir occasionally until tender (2-4 minutes), then transfer to pie dishes. Spoon over beef mixture, brush edges of pie dishes with eggwash and place a pastry round on top of each. Pierce a hole in the centre of each pie, brush tops with eggwash, bake until puffed and golden (20-25 minutes), serve hot.