Pepper Steak Pies

Cut the beef chuck into small, bite-sized cubes.

In a pot on medium-high heat with oil, brown the beef in batches. Season with salt. Once browned, remove the beef and set it aside.

In the same pot, sauté the diced onion until soft and translucent.

Add minced garlic, tomato paste, and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook for a minute until fragrant.

Stir in the flour and cook for another minute.

Pour in the beef stock, whisking to combine.

Add white pepper, soy sauce, bay leaves, sugar, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.

Return the beef to the pot, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about an hour.

After simmering, add more black pepper. Mix cornflour with water to create a slurry and stir it into the filling to thicken. Cook for a few more minutes.

Once the filling is thick, remove it from the heat and let it cool completely.

Grease a muffin tray. Unroll the puff pastry and cut out large circles to line the muffin cups.

Press the pastry discs into the muffin cups and fill each one with the cooled pepper steak filling.

Cut out smaller pastry circles to use as lids. Place the lids on top of the pies and press the edges to seal.

Whisk an egg to create an egg wash. Brush the tops of the pies with the egg wash.

Poke small holes in the center of each lid to allow steam to escape during baking.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed.