Cowherd'S Pies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

The Filling
1 1/2 lbs ground sirloin
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 teaspoons powdered beef bouillon
salt and pepper, to taste
12 fluid ounces water
1 pinch nutmeg
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 fluid ounces water, additional
The Pie Bases
2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces meat drippings
The Pie Tops
1 (12 ounce) package puff pastry
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water

Preparation

---To Make The Filling---.
Place the meat into a pan, stir over low heat until it is well browned; drain off any surplus fat.
Add crumbled stock cubes, 12 fluid ounces water, salt, pepper and nutmeg, stir until boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes, and then remove from the heat.
Combine extra 2 fluid ounces water and flour, stir or whisk until the flour mixture is smooth.
Add the flour mixture to the meat, stir until combined.
Return to the heat, stir until the meat boils and thickens.
Add soy sauce (to give brown colour), stir until combined.
Simmer, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove from the heat and allow to become cold.
---To Make The Pie Bases---.
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
Place the water and drippings into a saucepan, stir until the drippings melt; remove from heat.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the liquid, stir until combined.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead lightly.
Roll out the pastry to line eight greased single-serving pie tins.
Cut the excess pastry around the sides using a sharp knife.
Fill the centres with the cold meat filing.
---To Make The Pie Crusts---.
Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface, cut out rounds for the tops of pies, using a saucer as a guide.
Wet the edges of the base pastry, and then gently press the tops into place; trim around the edges with a sharp knife.
Brush the tops with combined egg-yolk and water.
---Down To The Wire---.
Bake the pies at 425\u00b0F for 5 minutes or until golden brown, and thenreduce the heat to 350\u00b0F and cook for a further 10 minutes.
---The Extra Pies---.
Freeze unbaked pies individually.
To cook, allow to thaw completely and bake as above.