Minced Beef and Cheese Pie

I first came across this seemingly bizarre combination of ingredients when I was asked to supply some 'Australian' pies to a pub in Madrid. They really are yummy!

Make the Pastry

Mix together the flour and salt, and then stir in the lard and water. Tip the dough out onto a worktop and knead until the dough is smooth.

Wrap in plastic film and leave to cool completely.

Make the Filling

Add the stock, salt, pepper and parsley and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste it and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Assemble and Bake the Pies

Roll out the rest of the pastry and cut into 4 rough squares that are big enough to form the pie cases with a bit left over at the rim. Dust one side of the pastry liberally with flour, and press a piece into each pie dish. Use your thumbs to make sure the pastry goes right down to the bottom of the dish. Trim off any excess pastry around the rim.

Fill the pies with the meat filling, leaving a space of about 1cm (about half an inch) at the top. Grate the cheese and place a generous pile in each pie. Save a couple of teaspoons of cheese for decoration.

Press a lid onto the top of each pie, squeezing tightly around the edge to form a good seal. Do any kind of crimping that you like, and brush the tops with beaten egg. Sprinkle a bit of cheese near the edge, put them on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Let them cool for 5-10 minutes before removing them from their tins. In Australia these are usually served floating in mushy peas or pea soup, and possibly with a dollop of ketchup.