Steak and porter pie

Preheat the oven to 160°C

Start by browning the chuck steak. Preheat a large lidded casserole dish over a high heat with a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Brown and seal the outside of the beef for 5-10 minutes, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. If the base of the pan gets darkly caramelised, deglaze with a little water in between batches, pouring the water into a bowl and reserving. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside

Reduce the heat to medium, add the pancetta and cook for 5 minutes until the fat has rendered and the edges are crisp. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook for 12-15 minutes until soft and caramelised. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute

Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then gradually pour in the porter, stirring to avoid lumps and scraping the bottom of the dish to release any caramelisation. Taste the reserved deglazing liquid and if it doesn’t take burnt, add this to the pan along with the beef stock, mustard, brown sugar, bay leaves and thyme

Return the beef and any resting juices to the casserole. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and transfer to the oven for 3 hours, or until the beef is completely fork-tender, uncovering for the last 30 minutes to allow the gravy to reduce until thick and glossy

For the pastry, beat together the whole egg, yolks and vinegar. Set aside

Place the flour and salt into a large bowl and whisk together. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs – work lightly to avoid warming up the butter

Add the egg mixture to the flour and, using a circular claw motion, bring the pastry together – adding small splashes of ice cold water to help it come together (you may not need all the water). Knead briefly until smooth, then flatten into a disc, wrap well and refrigerate for 30 minutes

Cut ⅓ of the pastry off the disc (this is the lid) and roll both pieces out on a flour-dusted surface to 4mm thick – place on a tray, cover and chill in the fridge until needed

Remove the beef filling from the oven (you can turn the oven off here). Remove the bay leaves and thyme stalks, stir in the vinegar, butter and cornflour (mixed with a splash of water), then taste and adjust the seasoning. Spread over a large, shallow dish or tray to cool quickly, then transfer to the fridge to chill

Line a 23cm pie plate or dish with the larger piece of pastry, leaving a little overhang

Spoon the cold filling into the dish and level out the top. Brush the exposed pastry rim with a little water, then lay over the lid, being mindful not to stretch the dough

Press the edges of the lid and base firmly together to seal. Trim away the excess pastry and crimp the edges. Cut a small cross in the centre of the lid to allow steam to escape

Brush the pie with beaten egg yolk and return the pie to the fridge to chill for 15 minutes

Preheat the oven to 200°C

Sprinkle with flaky salt and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 180°C and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp and the filling is piping hot (and reaches 74°C when a temperature probe is inserted into the centre)

Leave the pie to rest for 15 minutes before turning it out of the pie dish onto a serving platter. Serve with buttered greens or peas and mashed or steamed potatoes