Inspired by a traditional Welsh recipe this recipe uses Collier’s cheddar, utilising the simple yet strong flavours to deliver a wholly warm and cosy dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Beef:

1kg Shin of beef on the bone

1kg Oxtail on the bone

2 Medium Carrots – peeled and cut in half

1 Medium Onion – peeled and cut into four

2 Sticks of Celery – washed

1 Small Head of Garlic – cut in half

3 Bay Leaves

1 Sprig of Thyme

1 Beef Stock Cube  

For the Pie:


A preferably round oven proof serving dish to bake the pie in, approximately 7” in diameter and 3” deep

8 Thick Slices of good bread -Sourdough if you can get it

3 tablespoons of good Dijon Mustard or English if you prefer

200g approx of Beef Fat for frying bread

150g Grated Collier’s Cheddar Cheese

Salt and pepper to season  

Method:  

To Cook the Beef Shin and Oxtail:  

Place the beef shin & Oxtail in a thick bottomed saucepan with the vegetables, stock cube and herbs. Cover with two litres of water and a circle of parchment paper and a tight fitting lid.   Place into an oven set at 130 ÌŠC and cook for approximately 5 hours.  

When cooked, remove beef shin, oxtail, carrots & celery from cooking liquor and allow to cool enough to comfortably handle. When so, remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and put the meat to one side as you reduce half of the cooking liquor by 3⁄4 and reserve the other half for finishing the dish with.

 To make the pie:  

Fry the bread in hot beef fat. It should be golden brown on both sides but not fried completely all the way through.  

Brush the fried bread liberally with the mustard. Flake the cooked beef shin & oxtail roughly and roughly dice/chop the cooked carrots & celery.

There should be a total of three bread and cheese layers and two beef layers.   Start with a layer of fried bread in the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with a third of the Collier’s Cheese and then half of the cooked beef & vegetables.

Season with salt and pepper.

Repeat the above and finish with the final layer of bread and Collier’s Cheese.  

Gently pour over the beef stock and place in an oven set at 160 ÌŠC for approximately 20 minutes.

To serve, remove from the oven, allow to stand for five minutes and serve.