Directions

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat then gently sauté onions and garlic for about 5 minutes until they are clear, not brown.
2. Add the carrot and celery then continue to sauté for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
3. Tip all the contents of the pan into the slow cooker and set the temperature to high.
4. In the same frying pan heat 1 tbsp of oil on a high heat.
5. Once sizzling add the beef and sear it quickly on all sides.
6. Sprinkle Black Lime Pepper and Black Lime Salt onto the meat then stir through. Reduce the heat and pour in beef stock liquid, tomato paste, soy sauce and wine. Stir in paprika powder and bring to a simmer.
7. Pour all the contents of the pan into the slow cooker and stir it all together. Cook with the lid on for 4 hours until the meat is easy to break apart. To thicken the pie mixture mix cornflour in a bowl with 30ml of cool water to make a thin paste, then stir it into the slow cooker evenly. Place the lid back on and cook for another 15 minutes or until the filling is as thick as a pie consistency. If the sauce isn’t thick enough then repeat the cornflour process again using half the amount of cornflour and half the water. Taste the filling and season with extra Black Lime Salt and Pepper as desired. Leave the lid off for the slow cooker to completely cool or for best results refrigerate overnight.
    
     Making the Short Crust Pastry
8. Work fast to keep the dough cold. Mix flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
9. Add cold butter then pinch the butter into the flour so the mixture resembles large bread crumbs.
10. Add water a little at a time until a non-tacky dough forms, only use as much water as needed to bring the dough together. Work the dough as little as possible, form it into a ball.
11. Flatten the ball gently into a disc so it is half as thick as it was as a ball then wrap it in plastic wrap.
12. Refrigerate for 1 hour until well chilled. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
     
    Blind Baking the Short Crust Pastry
13. Blind bake the pastry base using a greased 22cm diameter x 4cm round tart pan with a removable base.
14. Dust the bench with flour then place the dough on the bench. Work quickly to keep the dough cold. Roll it out evenly about 3-4mm thick using a rolling pin.
15. Put the pan upside down on the dough then cut around the pan 5cm larger in diameter than the pan. Drape the pastry over the pan, then gently use your fingers to fit the dough around the inside of the pan.
16. Prick the base of the pastry evenly all over with a fork about 15 times, pushing the fork in around half way. Cut the pastry that is hanging over the pan. Cut a piece of baking paper that is slightly bigger than the pan. Scrunch it to crumple before opening it up and fully covering the pastry. Pour pie weights on the paper to hold it down making sure the weights hold the paper all the way to the edges. Put the pan in the oven on the middle shelf for blind baking for 15-20 minutes until it is lightly golden brown and firm, the oily shine should disappear. Remove the pan from the oven and leave the pastry base to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Once cool enough to touch, carefully transfer the pastry base from the pan to a cooling rack. Leave it to completely cool, this may take half an hour.
     
    Constructing the Pie
    Preheat the oven to 200°C. Once the base is fully cooled fill the base with the cold beef filling only ¾ of the way, it will expand when heated. Place the puff pastry over the top of the pie. Seal the pie by pinching and bunching up the puff pastry along the rim of the pie base, create a raised pastry edge. Coat the puff pastry lightly in egg wash. Use a pointed knife to cut an ‘X’ shaped incision into the middle of the puff pastry about 1cm x 1cm for the steam to escape. Place the pie on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and flaky. Cut and serve whilst hot.
     
    Note
    Ideally, make the beef filling the day before so the sauce thickens and sets better. Different flours require different amounts of water, so only use the minimum amount needed to create your dough and don’t over work the dough. The dough can be made the day before and stored in the fridge in plastic wrap. Excess dough or excess pie filling can be frozen