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The humble pie became a regular on Australian pub menus in the mid-1800s. Today, millions of pies are gobbled up each year around the country. At AFL finals games, about 90,000 pies are sold in a day!

The filling for this pie is slow-cooked casserole style. If you're short on time, prepare it earlier on, then add pastry on the day.

Ingredients

* 800g diced chuck beef

* ½ cup plain flour

* 3 Tbsp vegetable oil

* 2 white onions, finely sliced

* 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

* ½ bunch thyme, chopped

* 4 Tbsp tomato paste

* 1 cup red wine

* 1L beef stock

* 1 Tbsp Worcestershiresauce

* 2 Tbsp cornflour

* 4 Tbsp water

* 2 sheets puff pastry

* 1 egg, beaten

* Salt and pepper, to season

* Thick chips, to serve

* Salad, to serve

* Tomato sauce, to serve

* Pastry

* 375g plain flour

* 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

* 375ml boiling water

* 1 tsp fine salt

* Extra plain flour, for kneading

Optional: Serve with mushy peas

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Toss beef in flour. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over a high heat. Add half the beef and cook, until well browned and beginning to stick to bottom of pan. Remove and repeat with remaining oil and beef. Set aside. Add onion, garlic and thyme to pan and cook until onion has slightly softened. Add beef and tomato paste and cook briefly, then pour in wine, stock and Worcestershire sauce.

  2. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until meat is tender. Mix cornflour with water in a jug, then whisk into pan. Simmer until thickened, then season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

  3. To make pastry, put flour, butter, boiling water and salt in a large bowl and mix until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Set aside to cool completely, then roll out to 5mm thick. Using a 12cm cutter, cut out four rounds from pastry and line four tins, about 3cm deep.

  4. Fill each pastry case with cooled beef mixture (about ½ cup per tin).

  5. Cut out four 13cm rounds from puff pastry, then brush one side with egg. Arrange 1 round on top of each pie, egg-side down. Press down and crimp with fingertips to seal. Brush tops with egg. Using a small sharp knife, cut a small steam vent on top of each pie. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is deep golden and flaky. Serve pies with chips, salad and tomato sauce.