Prep time: 30 min to 1 hour
Cooking time: over 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 lbs good stewing steak (room temperature)
vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
fresh thyme, marjoram and chopped parsley to your own taste
1 tsp brown (or any strong) mustard
1 bay leaf
salt and cracked black peppercorns (just a dash of each)
1/4 pint beef stock
1/4 pint ale
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
1 lb puff pastry (readymade works fine)

How to:

Step One: Cut the steak into 1 in. cubes, then heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until just glassy. Now add the beef, making sure the meat and cook until medium brown. Add the flour and stir until dark brown (about 1 minute). Now add in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, marjoram, mustard, bay leaf and seasoning. Slowly add the beef stock and ale and bring to boil. Next come the mushrooms. Now simmer gently until the beef is almost tender, approx. 1 1/2 hours.

Step Two: Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C) then remove the meat from the heat, skimming off any excess fat. Adjust seasonings to taste and add the fresh chopped parsley. Pour the meat mixture into a low casserole/pie dish and cover with the pastry, carefully trimming the edges.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pastry is 'puffed' and golden brown.

Enjoy with a pint of * real ale and candlelight.
*Personal favorites are Spitfire, Hobgoblin, and Bishop's Finger.