Mince

Spicy beef mince pies

Ingredients:

  • 500g Dexter mince
  • 3 Onions (medium sized)
  • 500ml relatively thick gravy (real or made from beef gravy granules)
  • 1 beef stock cube
  • 1.5 teaspoon of Tandoori powder
  • 1.5 teaspoon of hot chilli powder (1 teaspoon if you prefer it less spicy)
  • Corn flour (only if thickening is necessary)
  • Olive oil
  • 1 pack of puff pastry
  • 6 small pie aluminium cases or 1 large pie dish


Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the sliced onions and cook on a medium heat until soft (stirring regularly).  Add the Dexter mince and stir until a light brown-grey colour / just cooked (don't let the meat go too dark).  Crumble the stock cube over the mince and onions and add the Tandoori and Chilli powder.  Stir well.  Pour the gravy over the mince and onion mixture and then simmer for about 20 minutes until the consistency is sticky and not too liquid.  (Corn flour can always be added to thicken the sauce if necessary).  Season to taste.  Allow to cool while you roll the pastry.

Roll out the ready made puff pastry and cut out 6 circles that cover the bottom of the small pie cases and 6 that are large enough to make pie lids.  Lightly grease (olive oil is fine) the pie cases.  Place a generous helping of filling into each of the pastry covered pie cases and then cover with a pastry lid.  Seal the pies using the back of a teaspoon, pressed along the edges of the pie.  Make a small hole in the top of each pie with a knife.

Place in a 200oC oven until the pastry has turned golden (about 20 minutes).

Serve with vegetables (my favourite is rosemary covered potato wedges and tinned sweetcorn)

 

Mrs Farrant’s Chilli Beef

 Ingredients:
  • 500g Dexter mince
  • 2 medium onions (chopped)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (chopped very small)
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • ½ large sweet pepper (chopped small)
  • 2 sticks of celery (diced)
  • 1 medium-hot strength chilli (chopped small)
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • ½ tube of tomato puree
  • 1 dessertspoon of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon (tsp) of Marmite (or 1 beef stock cube) dissolved in 200ml boiling water
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tin of kidney beans
 
Gently fry mince for about 10 minutes until cooked, stirring frequently to break it up. Add chilli powder, onion and garlic and fry until soft. Add celery, sweet pepper and chilli and continue to fry gently until all vegetables are soft (but not brown). Add the tin of tomatoes, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce and Marmite-water. Add sugar and season to taste. Simmer gently for 40 minutes. Add kidney beans, heat through (check seasoning) and serve.
 
Serving suggestion: Serve in bowls with crusty white bread (or rice). 
Chef's tip: ‘Tiger bread’ is the best! (sold at most large supermarkets)
 

Spaghetti Bolognese

 Ingredients: 
  • 500g Dexter mince
  • 2 medium sized onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 3 sticks of celery
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 3 tablespoons of oil
  • 300ml of red wine or beef stock
  • ½ tube of tomato puree
  • 2 bay leaves (optional)
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • Salt and pepper to season
 Serve with spaghetti (and grated Par