Chinese Spiced Beef and Mushroom Pie

Preheat the oven to 160˚C.

Filling: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large ovenproof casserole and add the onions and mushrooms with a good pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the onions are soft, stirring occasionally. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Put the flour in a large bowl and season well. Toss the beef in the flour, shaking off the excess. Add more oil to the pan and brown the meat in batches, removing to a plate as it’s done. Don’t let the flour catch and burn.

Return the vegetables to the pan and stir in the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, oyster, soy and sweet chilli sauces and bring to the boil, scraping the base of the pan to release any sticky bits. Add the star anise and beef stock and return the meat and any juices to the pan and combine. Cover the meat with a sheet of baking paper then
cover tightly with a lid. Braise for 2 hours until the meat is very tender, stirring every 30 minutes. Cool completely before assembling the pie.

Preheat the oven to 190˚C.

To assemble: Remove the star anise from the filling and discard. Spoon the meat into the pie dish.

Roll the pastry out and cut a top that is 2 cm larger than the pie dish, then cut thin strips from the scraps of pastry. Brush the edges of the pie dish with egg and lay the pastry strips around the rim, pressing them on to stick. Brush the border of the pastry top with egg then place egg side down over the top over the meat. Use the prongs of a fork to press the edges together to seal. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden and the filling is hot. 

Cook’s tip: Don’t add extra salt as the soy and oyster sauces will provide enough to season the filling.