This recipe has been put together by Hub-UK - if you have any questions about it feel free to email us.

Having children in the house means that you are always looking for ways to make food a little bit more exciting in their eyes. Wanting to make a traditional steak and ale pie (as they serve it down the pub) I wanted something that would be easy and quick to prepare as well as something that would get their attention. Looking for ingredients I cam to choose a beer to use. The beer needed to be rich so I was drawn to the bottles of real ale on display . . . the rest as they say is history. I spotted a bottle of Hobgoblin Strong Dark Ale.

The Hobgoblin Legend

It was in a shadowy corner of the old maltings in Witney that the first gurgle was heard - a delicious, dark, rich ale pouring from the cask.

A local landlord had commissioned a special brew to celebrate his daughter's wedding. The founder of Wychwood Brewery, the late Chris Moss, God rest his soul, created the ale of his life - a dark, rich, and mysterious brew. What to call it though? Too much was brewed for the wedding, so a firkin of the still nameless beer was sold to a local grog shop. It went down so well, more was called for the very next day.

Chris dutifully delivered another firkin, and was stopped aghast in his tracks. What sight beheld him? A drawing of a Hobgoblin and the name had magically appeared on the beer. Was it the wanderer of the night? Was mischief afoot? Perhaps, under his gaze, a lay artist serving at the counter was so charmed with the ale, he'd been compelled to depict the character of the brew in a drawing.

From that day hence, customers would ask for The "Hobgoblin" beer, and the legendary ale was born.

Beware The Hobgoblin . . . he may work his magic on you . . .

Hobgoblin Strong Dark Ale and many other real ales are available from the Wychwood Brewery - to visit the Brewery web site <click here>

Ingredients

1 kg braising steak
500 ml Hobgoblin
500 ml water (approximately)
3 beef stock cubes
2 1/2 heaped tbsp plain flour
2 large onions
Cooking oil or beef dripping
2 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
Ready made puff pastry (ready rolled preferably, for less work)

Method

• Peel and chop the onions. Cut up the braising steak into small cubes.

• Heat some oil in a large and deep saucepan. Add the onions and sauté gently for about five minutes until soft.

• Add the meat and cook to seal.

• Add the flour and stir in to meat juices.

• Continue to cook to cook out the flour, adding the beer gradually to prevent sticking to the pan until all the beer has been added.

• Add beef stock cubes and stir until dissolved.

• Add water to thin down the gravy. The amount will vary according to how much juice has come out of the meat so add gradually until the right consistency is achieved.

• Add Dijon mustard (English mustard can be used if preferred).

• Once boiling reduce the heat, cover and simmer very gently for at least two hours.

• Once cooked, cut your pre-prepared pastry into rounds or squares (the shape and decoration is down to your imagination) and bake for approximately 10 minutes on a tray.

• To serve ladle the meat and gravy on to each plate and top with pastry.

Note:

You can prepare and part cook on the one day and then complete the cooking on the following day which will allow the flavours to come out even more.

Serves 4

Hub-UK