• Start by making a batch of my gluten free pastry and then place in the refrigerator to chill.

To prepare the vegetables:

• Finely chop the celery. Peel and finely chop the onion. Halve the carrots longways and then cut into chunks. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Roughly chop the mushrooms into chunks.

To make the pie filling:

• Add the beef shin chunks to a large bowl, add the gluten free flour and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss until the beef is completely coated in the flour.
• Add half of the butter to a large, deep skillet and heat on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef chunks and stir fry until browned on all sides. Remove the beef chunks from the pan and into a bowl. Pour a small dash of the ale into the pan, swill around and scrape the bottom, and then pour juices into the bowl with the beef.
• Melt the rest of the butter in the same pan on a medium heat, then add the vegetables. Fry for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the beef and juices back to the pan.
• Pour in the beef stock and ale, then add the tomato puree, fresh thyme and dried rosemary. Stir well.
• Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and place a lid on the pan. Cook for 90 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken nicely.
• Remove the filling from the heat and set to one side. Ideally, leave this for at least an hour or two to cool completely (or overnight in the fridge) - though you can press on with making the pies if you wish.

To make the pies:

• Remove the pastry from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 200'C / Fan 180'C / Gas Mark 6.
• Break off a quarter of the pastry, dust the work surface with gluten free flour and roll until it around 4mm thick. Lay the pastry over the first pie dish and gently press it into the dish and over the lip.
• Trim the excess (set this to one side for the lids) and prick the bottom of the pie with a fork. Repeat until all four pie dishes are lined with pastry.
• Spoon the cooled pie filling equally between the four pie dishes.
• Ball the leftover pastry remnants together, then break off a quarter and roll out to around 4mm thick, so that it is just larger than the diameter of the pie top.
• Brush the lip of the pie crust with a beaten egg, then gently lay the rolled-out pastry over the top. Press the edges together with your fingers and trim with a knife. Then use a fork to press them together.
• Repeat this for all four pies. When done, cut a slit in the top of each pie (to vent steam, so it doesn't explode!) then brush the tops with the beaten egg.
• Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden on top and the pie filling is bubbling. Serve straight away.