PREPARE THE FILLINGS —

• Do this ahead of time so you can chill all the fillings before assembling the pie.

Make the Slow Cooker Short Ribs:

• In the bowl of a slow cooker, whisk together the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.
• Place the short ribs on top.
• Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
• 30 minutes before it's been 8 hours, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 tbs cool water in a small bowl. Stir this into the slow cooker mixture, recover the slow cooker, and complete the last 30 minutes of cooking.
• Stir in the parsley and sesame seeds.
• Tear the meat off the bones (it should come right off!) and sneak a few pieces for yourself as a reward. Store the rest in a container with the sauce in the fridge until it's time to assemble the pie.

Make the Egg Fried Rice:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until it's shimmering. Add eggs and scramble until it's set but still runny.
• Add the day-old rice, breaking it apart with your hands into the pan. Stir to combine with the egg.
• Add the carrots and stir together.
• Add a hefty pinch of salt and few grinds of black pepper, then stir to combine.
• Add the green onion and stir to combine.
• Keep cooking until the rice turns slightly golden and crispy.
• I would normally add Maggi seasoning at this point, but because it's going into the pie with a slew of other delicious things, it is not necessary here! Instead, move it into a covered container and refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the pie.

Make the Stir-fried Kale:

• In a large skillet or wok, heat the 2 tbs of oil over medium-low heat until it's warm. Add garlic. Cook until everything smells fragrant, but before the garlic changes color.
• Before the garlic begins to turn golden, add the kale and stir to coat the leaves in the garlic oil. Cook, stirring continuously, until the leaves are wilted.
• Increase the heat to medium. Add a hefty pinch of salt and keep stirring until the leaves are tender, about 3-5 minutes.
• Move it into a covered container and refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the pie.

Make the Stir-fried Cabbage:

• In a large skillet or wok, heat the 2 tbs of oil over medium-high heat until it's shimmering. Add the peppercorns and quickly stir until it turns a dark brown and becomes incredibly fragrant. Take off the heat and scoop the peppercorns out and discard them.
• Put the pan with the infused oil back on the head and add the dried chili peppers and cabbage. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 30 seconds. Add the salt and keep cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes, letting the edges char.
• Lower the heat to medium-low and add soy sauce. Stir to mix.
• Move it into a covered container and refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the pie.

MAKE THE PIE —

Make the Hot Water Crust:

• Don't start this until all the filling is done and you are ready to bake because once you get the dough ready, you'll need to bake it right away!
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Combine the flours in a large bowl. Put the butter in the bowl and rub it into the flour with your fingertips.
• Heat the water, lard, and salt in a small saucepan, stirring until all the lard has melted. Bring it to a boil. Warning: it'll smell pretty bad at this stage.
• Dump the hot lard mixture into the bowl of flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together as a dough.
• While the dough is still warm but no longer hot enough to burn your hands, dump it out onto a floured surface and work quickly to knead it until smooth.
• Tear off a third of the dough and wrap it in cling film, then set that aside.
• Roll the rest of the dough into a circle big enough to line the springform pan and pat it into the pan, going up the sides.

Assemble the Pie:

• In the lined springform pan, spoon in a generous and even layer of the fried rice.
• Spoon in an even and generous layer of the short rib on top of the rice.
• Spoon in an even and generous layer of the stir-fried kale.
• Spoon in an even and generous layer of the stir-fried cabbage.
• When you're done, there should be about 1/2" of dough on the sides above the filling. This will allow you to crimp it together with the lid of the pie.
• Roll out the last third of your dough that was wrapped in cling film until it's big enough to cover the top of your pie. Place on top and crimp together with the sides of the pie until you've encased all the filling.
• Use a knife to make some slashes on the top of the pie to vent the steam, or cut out a small circle in the middle — the latter is what I usually do.
• Place the springform pan onto a baking sheet lined with foil to catch any drippings that might come out.
• Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and keep baking for another 1 hour and 45 minutes until the dough is a rich golden brown. If the top crust is browning too quickly, cover it lightly with foil but keep it baking!
• Let it cool completely in the tin on a wire rack. Once it's cooled, carefully unmold it from the tin and serve it at room temperature or warm. Refrigerate any leftovers.