Beef & Beer Slow-Cooked Pies

Step 1: Place the flour in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper and then add the beef and toss to coat.

Step 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a casserole pan over high heat and add 1/4 of the beef and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until brown all over and transfer to a bowl and repeat in 3 more batches with remaining beef and 3 teaspoons of oil (if flour should start to burn you may need to wash the pot during this process or you will end up with a burnt taste to your finished product.)

Step 3: Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan and add onion and pancetta and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the onion softens and transfer to a bowl.

Step 4: Add mushroom and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until tender and then add garlic and cook for 1 minute and then return beef and the onion mixture to the pan.

Step 5: Add beer, stock (increase stock to 3 cups/750ml if omitting beer), tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves and bring to the boil and then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours or until beef is very tender.

Step 6: Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes to until sauce thickens and then season to taste.

Step 7: Meanwhile, to make potato topping, preheat oven to 220C.

Step 8: Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Step 9: Combine the potato, butter, garlic, salt and thyme in a large bowl.

Step 10: Layer 1/4 of the potato mixture on the lined tray to form a round stack, about 12cm in diameter.

Step 11: Repeat with remaining potato mixture to make 3 more stacks.

Step 12: Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and brown and crisp and then reduce oven to 200C.

Step 13: Divide the beef mixture evenly among four 1 1/2 cup (375ml) capacity ovenproof dishes.

Step 14: Place a potato stack on top of each dish and bake for a further 15 minutes or until heated through.