Meat & potato pie-cook filling first or not?

Emuchops

I'm making this on Sunday, using beef. Do you recommend cooking the filling first (I tend to do it the day before-flavours improve)) and thereby making and seasoning the meat, veg & gravy to taste, or do you recommend adding the ingrediants raw, with seasoning and water, and cooking that way? (which I think results in a "fresher" result, but can be a bit "hit and miss") I suppose what I want to know is what method results in the best flavour? I am led to believe that adding raw ingredients to the pastry crust is more traditional, but I suppose traditional isn't always best. All thoughts much appreciated.

Sunnyday

If i`m making something like pasties with small slivers of meat inside then i cook from raw but if i`m making a pie then i precook, i`m always scared of the meat being raw and the potatoes being hard inside a pie when the crust is just right so to be sure i would par boil the spuds and cook the meat first.

HTH

SD

caitybabes

I tend to make a casserole and use leftovers for pies... so I cook first

squeaky

I tend to lightly brown the meat, parboil the taters, but things like onion and mushrooms go in raw.

SilverBird_2

I cook the meat first (with some onions and carrots) and then thicken the stock with some gravy powder and cornflour. (Mix the gravy powder and cornflour with some water before using to avoid lumps.) The potatoes are cooked separately and then added to the cooked meat.