Aussie beef pie

Puff pastry for tops

2 ounces butter or margarine

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

3/4 cup cold water 

8 ounces chilled butter or margarine

sift flour and salt, cut in 2 ounces butter. Mix cold water and vinegar and add pulling pastry into a ball. Do not over knead. Roll 8 ounces butter between two sheets of parchment into a 4x 8 rectangle. Chill while rolling dough into a 4x 18 rectangle. Place butter on one half. Fold over pastry sealing butter in on edges. Flour surface well, and rolling evenly, make into an 18 inch rectangle again. Fold both ends in to middle and fold again like a book. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll again into rectangle being careful to roll evenly to not break surface. Fold book style again and wrap in plastic. Chill over night. Remove from frige and let warm up a few minutes. Roll into a rectangle, fold. Chill 30 minutes and repeat. Makes 12 lids  to fit 5 inch tart pans.

short crust pastry for pie cases

5 ounces butter or margarine

2 cups chilled flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1/3 cup cold water

Mix flour and salt. Cut butter into mixture, add cold water and vinegar and form into a. ball. Do not over knead. Rest in fridge two hours  before rolling out  to make cases. Cut into 8 even pieces and roll into circles to fit 5 inch tart pans.

Filling:

2 pounds beef cubed

1 onion small diced

1 small red pepper dices

1/2 pound button mushrooms cut into quarters

3 cloves garlic.

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Lea and Perkins sauce

salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons brown gravy powder or cornstarch

2 tablespoons flour

 dust beef cubes with flour and brown in pot with olive oil. Add herbs and seasonings except salt. Add a bit of water or stock and simmer till tender. reduce gravy leaving enough liquid to make a generous amount of sauce for the pie filling. Add gravy mix or cornstarch, taste and adjust salt. Cool filling in fridge before using in pastry. Baste edges of pie cases with whipped egg fill and place lid on. Press edges with fork and poke two vents with fork on tops. Brush with egg. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 375 degrees for until nicely browned. Start on bottom rack of oven for first 15 minutes Then move to higher  rack.

alternate fillings such as butter chicken with raisins, or ham with cheese, fresh herbs and a whipped egg may be used.