Ingredients

Makes 4 large, 6 small

For the pastry:

250g block of lard

450g strong plain flour

6tbsp (approx) ice-cold water to mix

For the filling:

400g beef skirt or flank, or chuck steak

200g onion

200g swede

600g floury potatoes

1 egg whisked with 1tbsp milk

Knob of butter

Pinch of salt

Method

Place the lard in its wrapper in the freezer and leave for about an hour until very hard. Prepare the filling ingredients and arrange in four piles. Trim and dice the beef, cutting away gristle but leaving fat, into 20p-size pieces. Peel, halve and finely chop the onion. Peel and dice the swede into pieces slightly smaller than the beef. Slice the potato thinly into 5p-size pieces.

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Remove the lard from the freezer, peel back the paper, dip into the flour and grate into the bowl, dipping back into the flour occasionally to make the grating easier. Now mix the lard evenly into the flour by making sweeping scoops with a palette knife until it resembles heavy breadcrumbs. Stir in 1tbsp water at a time until the dough clings together, then form it into a ball. Place the dough in a polythene bag and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Divide the pastry into four equal pieces. Dust a work surface with flour and roll one pastry ball into a 20-23cm circle, using an upturned plate as a guide. Roll the other three pieces.

Leaving a 2cm border, sprinkle onion and swede over half the pastry. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with the meat, then with half of the potato. Season again, then add the rest of the potato. Paint the border with water, then fold the rest of the pastry over the filling. Press the edges together to seal (or use the tines of a fork), then, working from one end to the other, crimp with your fingers, rolling the border upwards and forming little pleats, tucking neatly as you go. Tuck the ends underneath.

Line a baking sheet with baking parchment or butter it thoroughly, and sprinkle with water. Transfer the pasties to the baking sheet with space between them. Rest for 30 minutes. Prick the top of the pasty twice with a fork (to make steam holes), then brush with egg mixture.

Heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6 and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 150C/gas mark 2 and cook for a further 45 minutes until golden.

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