Instructions: 1 Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a deep skillet. Season the meat and brown in batches. Remove and keep warm.

2 Heat the remaining butter in the skillet, add the finely sliced onions and bay leaves, and saute until lightly browned. Season, stir in the flour, adding extra butter if necessary, and saute until the onion mixture is a rich brown.

3 Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato pure, anchovy sauce, mushroom sauce, Guinness Stout, sugar, and vinegar, and let bubble for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 1/4 cups water, cover, and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours. Spoon into the pie dishes.

4 To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Put the lard, milk, and 2/3 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir into the flour, let cool, then knead gently but firmly. Use immediately - do not refrigerate.

5 Roll out the pastry to 1/8 inch thick. Cut 6 rectangles to fit the tops of the pie dishes and press an onion slice into each. Cut small strips from the remaining pastry and use to line the rim of each dish, pressing firmly. Place a pastry lid on top and, using your fingers or tip of a knife, press the edges onto the pastry-lined rim to seal. Make a small hole in the top of each pie to let the steam escape, brush with egg yolk, and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

6 Serve with mustard, if using, and boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes.

Serves 6.

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