Beef Mince, Lardon and Havarti Pies

Who doesn’t love a mince and cheese pie? In these hearty, individual pies we’ve paired the mince with nutty Havarti cheese, but if you prefer something sharper try using a rich and tangy blue.

Prep:
20 mins + chilling time
Cook:
60 mins
Serves:
8

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

75g lardons, pancetta or streaky bacon, finely chopped

500g Pure South beef mince

½ cup red wine

1 cup Farro beef stock

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp cornflour, mixed with 2 Tbsp water

2 packets Paneton puff pastry

100g Havarti cheese, cut into 8 slices

1 egg, lightly beaten with little water

Method

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and fry the onion, garlic, carrot and lardons until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add the mince and cook until lightly browned, stirring well to break up any lumps. Add the red wine and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Stir in the beef stock, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 30 minutes, seasoning to taste as you go. If required, add a little of the cornflour slurry to thicken the mince. Cool the mixture before filling your pies

To assemble your pies, cut the pastry sheets into eight equal squares (you should get six from one sheet and two from another). Carefully spoon the filling into the middle of each square, leaving enough pastry around the edge to cover the surface. Top the mince with a slice of cheese and brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash

Pull two opposite corners towards each other, so the points just overlap. Brush the edges with egg wash, then fold in the remaining corners and gently seal the points to create an envelope shape. Place the pies onto a baking paper lined tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking. The pies could be frozen at this point, simply allow an extra 5-10 minutes in the oven if cooking from frozen

To bake, preheat the oven to 200°C. Brush the outside of the pies with egg wash and prick with a fork. Bake for 30-35 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool for a few minutes before serving