Suet crust topped minced beef and onion pie

This week has been National British Pie week, well that sounds right up my street so in honour of this special event we had to bake a pie didn't we.

I love suet crust it takes me straight back to my childhood ( I remember it being used to top rabbit pie and hot pot mainly), a golden crusty top, soft fluffy underside and the delicious margin where the gravy touches the pastry. 

I though I would also dig out my retro vintage style pie dishes as well for this post, hope you like them, personally I love a bit of enamelware, very utility chic.

Ingredients

• Quality minced steak
• Large white onion finely chopped
• Quality beef stock
• Salt and pepper
• A little vegetable oil
• Gravy Thickner (Bisto or similar or cornflour)
• 200g Self raising flour
• 100g vegetable suet
• Water
• Pinch of salt
• Milk for brushing top of pastry

Method

• First to make the pie filling, heat a little oil in a frying pan, quickly fry off the minced steak until browned , now add the onion, turn the heat down and cook until slightly softened.
• Now add enough beef stock to the pan, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or so, you can add herbs, tomato ketchup, etc to give more flavour to the gravy if you like.
• Once the minced steak is cooked, thicken the gravy via your prefererred method.
• Set to one side to cool, before filling your pie dishes.
• On to the pastry, mix in a large bowl the flour, salt and suet with a knife, adding just enough water to create a slighty sticky dough.
• Tip out onto a floured surface and roll out to desired thickness , top your pies and trim the pastry accordingly
• Cut a small slit in the pastry top and brush the pie crust with a little milk
• Bake in a pre heated oven at 180c for about 30 minutes until the pie crust is golden and the gravy is bubbling up the sides of the pie
• Serve with your favourite vegetable, I chose mushy peas.