Meat

Cow Pie
1. 

Both these cuts of meat need lonq, slow cooking, but you'll be rewarded with melt-in-the mouth meat and a rich qravy for your pie. Good butchers will sell ox cheek and tail and many supermarkets are now sellinq ranqes of forgotten cuts.

1 Kg ox or beef cheek, cut into chunks, any fat and gristle removed
1 large oxtail, cut into sections
3 carrots, chopped into chunks
2 onions, quartered
1 head of celery, chopped into chunks
2 bay leaves
thyme, a small bunch
1 bulb of garlic, cut in half
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 bottle red wine (full-bodied)
olive oil
butter
500ml beef stock

PASTRY
250g self-raising flour
150g shredded suet
Half tsp baking powder
Half tsp salt

Put the meat, vegetables, herbs, garlic and peppercorns in a large bowl. Pour over the wine and leave to marinate overnight. The next day, drain the meat and vegetables from the wine, keeping the liquid. Heat the oven to 160C. Season the meat well, then colour in batches in a large casserole with a little olive oil and butter. Remove the meat, then add the veg and brown. Add the meat back to the pan with the reserved red wine and the stock, bring to a simmer then cover and transfer to the oven for 4 hours.

Take the meat out of the liquid and discard the vegetables. When cool enough to handle, pull the oxtail from the bones and put in a bowl. Pull the cheeks into chunks and add to the same bowl. Reduce the cooking liquor by about two-thirds until gravyish - taste, then season if it needs it. Mix with the meat, then tip into a large pie dish.

To make the pastry mix all the ingredients together and add enough cold water to form a dough (you'll need between 125ml and 175ml). Roll into a ball, cover and chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 170C. Roll out the pastry to 5mm thick. Brush the edge of the pie dish with a little beaten egg, then cover with the pastry and brush the surface with more egg. Make a little hole for steam to escape. Bake the pie for 30-35 minutes or until the top of the pastry is golden and crisp.

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