Blast from the Past

Who knows what this chap does for a living? Yep, you guessed it, he's a rag and bone man! For those of you that don't know what a rag and bone man is here's the wikipedia definition!

"Rag and bone man is a British phrase for a junk dealer. Historically the phrase referred to an individual who would travel the streets of a city with a horsedrawn cart, and would collect old rags (for converting into fabric and paper), bones for making glue, scrap iron and other items, often trading them for other items of limited value.

They would use a distinctive call to alert householders to their presence, and/or ring a hand bell. The call was something similar to "rag-and-bone", delivered in a sing-song fashion. Long usage tended to simplify the words, for instance down to "any raa-boh", even to the point of incomprehensibility, although the locals could easily identify who was making the call."

Anyway, to get to the point! I stumbled across a documentary about British quirkiness on French TV and the image of the rag and bone man spun me back to my grandparent's house and therfore my nanny's cooking. And so I immediatly had to make a homemade steak and potato pie!

There are two ways you can go about this recipe, either make individual pies or one large pie with a top crust only. I made the large one, well I would wouldn't I!

Ingredients
2 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2tbsp vegetable oil 600g braising steak, flank, shin or cheek, cut into rough 2cm chunks
A sprig of thyme/1tblsp dried thyme
1 litre/2 pints beef stock*
600g potatoes, peeled and cut into rough 2cm chunks
1 medium egg, beaten
Salt & pepper, to season

For the pastry (ready made shortcrust pastry is fine too)

225g self-raising flour
1tsp salt
85g shredded beef suet
60g butter, chilled and coarsely grated
1 medium egg, beaten

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, season and fry the meat on a high heat, stirring occasionally.

2. In a large soup or saucepan gently cook the onions and thyme in a little more oil for 3-4 minutes until soft.

3. Add the meat, potatoes and stock, season and bring to the boil

4.Simmer with a lid on for 1 1/2 hours.

5. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 5.

6. Make the pastry:

- Mix the flour and salt with the suet and grated butter.

- Mix in about 150ml of water to form a smooth dough and knead for a minute.

- Roll the pastry on a floured table to about 1cm thick and cut out to about 2cm larger all the way round than the pie dish you are using.

7.1. For large pie:

- Add the meat to the dish or dishes you are using

- Brush the edges of the pastry with a little of the beaten egg and lay the pastry on top of your pie, pressing the egg-washed sides against the rim of the dish.

- Cut a small slit in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape, and brush with beaten egg.

7.2. For individual pies:

- Line the dishes, bottom and up the sides, you are using with pastry

- Place in the oven for 2-3 mins, to seal the pastry so that the liquid won't make the pastry go soggy.

- Add the meat to the dishes you are using

- Brush the edges of the pastry with a little of the beaten egg and lay the pastry on top of your pie, pressing the egg-washed sides against the rim of the dish.

- Cut a small slit in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape, and brush with beaten egg.

8. Leave to rest in a cool place for 30 minutes.

9. Cook for 30-40 minutes until golden.

Serves : 4
Preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time : 2 & 1/2 hours

* If you are using stock cubes for a fuller flavour, in a large bowl add 1 beef/veal stock cube such as Knorr or Maggi, 1 oxo beef stock cube and 2 tsps of original Bisto to the boiling water, mix until completely dissolved.