Recipe
Szechuan beef pie
An Asian twist on the classic beef pie.
- Serves 4
- Prep Time 20 mins
- Cooking Time 100mins
Ingredients
- Serves 4
Method
- Drizzle beef with sunflower oil in a bowl and toss to coat. Toast Szechuan peppercorns in a small frying pan until fragrant, do not burn. Tip into a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder.
- Place a large cast iron casserole dish or wok over medium high heat. Brown beef in 2-3 batches, add ground peppercorns, onions, carrots, parsnip, garlic, chilli, soy, sesame paste and stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes or until beef is tender.
- Mix a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid with the cornflour to a smooth paste and stir into mixture. Cook for 5-10 minutes until mixture thickens. Add spring onions.
- Meanwhile steam sweet potato and mash with ginger. Preheat oven to 200oC. Divide pie filling between 4 x 1 cup-capacity ramekins and top with sweet potato topping.
- Bake pies for 15 minutes or until golden and serve with steamed greens.
Tips
- Szechuan peppercorns are available from Asian grocers or the Asian section in supermarkets. If you don't have a mortar and pestle to crush the peppercorns you can place them in a zip lock bag and whack them with a rolling pin.
- If you don't have toasted sesame paste or tahini substitute 1 teaspoon sesame oil mixed with 1 teaspoon peanut butter.
- Make one large pie by using a 4-cup capacity baking dish or 8-9 inch pie plate.
- Save time and use lean beef mince instead of chuck. Reduce the cooking time to 30 minutes and only use half the stock.