Individual beef pies with a cheese dough lid made with beer

Ingredients:

For the test:

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for working with the dough
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 110 g cold butter, cut into 1 cm pieces
• 3/4 cup (about 85 g) grated Irish cheddar
• 6-7 tbsp. strong beer
• 1 lightly beaten egg category CO

For the filling:

• 1 kg of beef shoulder, cut into 2.5 cm pieces (pre-cut off excess fat)
• 1/4 cup wheat flour
• Salt and ground pepper
• 3 tbsp (45 g) butter
• 1/3 cup strong beer
• 3 medium leeks, halved and cut into 2.5cm pieces (white and light green parts only)
• 450 g carrots, cut into 2.5 cm pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 2.5 cm pieces

Preparation:

1. Prepare the dough: In a food processor, pulse the flour and fine salt. Add the butter and cheese and pulse until crumbs form with pea-sized pieces of butter. Pour in 6 tablespoons of beer and pulse again.
   
   Press the dough with your fingers; if it doesn't hold its shape, add another tablespoon of beer at a time. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least an hour or overnight.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). In a large bowl, combine beef, flour, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, and pepper to taste. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat.
   
   Add the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned throughout, about 7 minutes. Add the beer and 2 cups of water, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, then cover, transfer to the oven, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the leeks, carrots, and celery and continue simmering for another hour.
3. Place 6 ramekins (300 ml capacity) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll the dough between two lightly floured sheets of parchment into a 25 x 40 cm rectangle. Cut it into 6 13 cm squares. Make a few slits in the center of each square to allow steam to escape.
4. Remove the filling from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 190°C (350°F). Season the filling with salt and pepper and divide it among the ramekins (you can reserve some filling). Top each ramekin with a square of dough, pressing it to the edges of the ramekins. Brush the "lid" with beaten egg. Bake until the dough is crisp and golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.