Pie and liquor recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine (2024)

The essence of the East End, these simple meat pies have a suet crust and shortcrust lid and are served with plain mash and lots of liquor. Chilli vinegar is the key finishing touch.

Tamsin Burnett-Hall

Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking

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Ingredients

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Step by step

1. Brown the beef mince in a dry frying pan, breaking it up really well as you go. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, gravy browning (if using) and plenty of pepper. Partially cover and simmer for 15 minutes then remove the lid and cook for 10-15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile, make the shortcrust pastry. Rub the butter into the plain flour, plus a pinch of salt, then add enough cold water to bring together as a dough, wrap and chill.
3. When ready to assemble and bake the pies, preheat the oven to the highest setting. Mix the self-raising flour, suet and a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Add enough cold water to bring together as a dough. Grease 4 small metal or foil pie dishes well (about 12cm x 16cm across the top). Roll out the suet pastry on a floured surface to about 4mm thick. Cut into 4 rectangles and press one into each dish, leaving the excess hanging over the edges. Spoon in the cooled minced beef filling and brush the pastry rims well with water.
4. Roll out the shortcrust and cut into 4 rectangles for the lids. Press onto the pie dishes to seal, then trim off the excess. Brush with a little milk.
5. Place on a baking tray and bake for 18-20 minutes – the pies should blister and slightly scorch.
6. Meanwhile, make the liquor. Crumble the stock cubes into a pan with 800ml water and the parsley; bring to a simmer. Mix the flour to a slurry with cold water in a small bowl. When you are sure that there are no lumps, gradually whisk this mixture into the parsleyed stock and simmer until the liquor has thickened.
7. Turn the pies out from their dishes and serve with plenty of liquor, plain mash and chilli vinegar, which you should drizzle over to taste.

   Kitchen tip

   To make chilli vinegar, add 2 sliced chillies to a small jar of malt vinegar and infuse for about 2 hours.