3-Hour Slow-Cooked Beef and Mushroom Pie

Cut beef into 4cm pieces, dust with flour and season, tossing well to coat. Heat 20ml (1 tablespoon) oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add beef and cook for 5–6 minutes or until browned all over. Remove from pan and set aside.

Dice onion into 2cm pieces. Halve mushrooms. Cut celery into 2cm pieces. Cut carrot into rounds. Dissolve stock cube in 375ml (1½ cups) boiling water.

Reduce heat to medium and add onion, celery, carrot and mushroom to pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes or until softened. Add tomato paste and Italian Kitchen Herbs and stir to combine. Return beef to pan with stock and bring to a rapid simmer.

Cover saucepan with lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1½ hours or until beef is tender. Remove lid and increase heat to medium. Simmer rapidly for 12–15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Remove cavolo nero leaves from their stems, roughly chop and stir through pie filling.

Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced. When beef filling is almost ready, melt butter and use to brush 1 sheet of filo. Top with a second sheet and scrunch into a nest. Repeat with remaining sheets to make 4 nests. Transfer beef filling to pie dish, top with filo and brush with remaining butter. Transfer to oven and bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.

Divide pie between plates and serve with salad leaves drizzled with your favourite dressing.