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1
Preheat the oven to 450.
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2
Heat the oil in a 9- to 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
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3
Add the celery and onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
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4
Add the ground beef and cook over moderately high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes.
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5
Add the paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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6
Stir in the tomato soup, water and tomato paste until thoroughly blended.
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7
Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
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8
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and the celery seeds.
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9
Using a fork, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles small peas.
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10
Gently stir in the milk just until a soft dough forms.
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11
Using 2 spoons, arrange tablespoon-size dollops of the dough all over the beef filling to within 1 inch of the edge of the skillet.
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12
Bake the beef pie for 20 minutes, or until the crust is browned and cooked through and the filling is bubbling.
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13
Let the pie stand for 10 minutes before serving.
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14
Invert onto a large, flat plate or serve straight out of the skillet.
