Szechuan beef pie

Szechuan beef pie

Serves

4

Prep Time

20

Cook Time

160

Ingredients

800g Beef chuck, trimmed of fat, 2.5cm diced

1 tsp Sunflower oil

1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns (or black peppercorns)

2 Onions, cut into wedges

2 Carrots, chopped on the diagonal

2 Cups parsnip, peeled and diced

2 Cloves garlic, sliced

1 Long red chilli, finely chopped

1 tbsp Soy sauce

1 tbsp Toasted sesame paste (or tahini)

500ml Salt reduced beef stock

2 heaped tsps Cornflour

2 Spring onions, sliced

Sweet potato topping

500g Sweet potato

1 tsp Finely grated ginger

4 Steamed choy sum (or similar Asian green), to serve

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.
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