Braised beef and macaroni pie

Place the rosemary, peppercorns, and garlic in a mortar and pound with a pestle until finely crushed. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the beef, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, thyme and red wine. Stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to marinate.

The next day, use a slotted spoon to remove the beef from the marinade. Pat dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Strain the marinade through a fine sieve into a large bowl and set aside. Reserve the vegetable mixture.

Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C for convection oven). Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook one third of the beef for 8 - 10 minutes or until caramelised, turning often. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef in 2 more batches. Reduce heat to low. Add the reserved vegetable mixture to the dish and cook for 6 minutes or until golden, stirring continuously. Return the beef to the dish. Increase heat to high. Pour in the reserved marinade. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to the boil. Cover and cook in the oven for 3 hours or until the beef is very tender. Set aside to cool slightly.

Cook the macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until almost al dente. Drain and spread onto a baking tray to cool.

Place the cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Whisk in the cheddar until melted. Pour into a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer beef to a chopping board. Use 2 forks to coarsely shred. Place beef in a large ovenproof dish. Strain the liquid into a clean saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Pour over just enough of the liquid to moisten the beef.

Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C for convection oven). Transfer macaroni to a bowl with the cheddar and cream mixutre and stir to combine. Spread mixture over the beef. Sprinkle with extra cheddar. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and crisp.