Equipment
Ingredients
Pie Filling
- 800 g beef chuck steak, cut into 3cm cubes
- 30 g plain flour
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 2 brown onion, roughly diced
- 2 carrot, diced
- 2 celery, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 30 g tomato paste
- 440 ml stout beer
- 250 ml beef stock
- 5 g fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped
- 2 bay leaf, dried or fresh
Shortcrust Pastry
- 400 g plain flour
- 200 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 5 g salt
- 60 ml ice water
Egg Wash
- 1 egg, beaten
- 15 ml whole milk
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 822 kcal
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbohydrates
- 68 g
- Fat
- 42 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 655 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 21 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 192 mg
- Potassium
- 873 mg
- Calcium
- 94 mg
- Iron
- 4.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 66 mg
- Phosphorus
- 427 mg
- Zinc
- 11.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 533 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 14 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 4.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.24 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.38 mg
- Niacin
- 8.2 mg
- Folate
- 55 mcg
- Water
- 332 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Season the beef chunks generously with salt and black pepper, then toss in the 30g of plain flour until evenly coated. Shake off any excess.
Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding, turning until browned on all sides. Remove the beef to a plate.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery to the same pot. Cook until softened and lightly browned, scraping up any fond from the bottom.
Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the tomato paste darkens slightly and becomes fragrant.
Pour in the stout beer to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom thoroughly with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits.
Return the seared beef and its resting juices to the pot. Add the beef stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Cover the pot tightly, reduce heat to low, and braise gently for 2 hours, or until the beef is meltingly tender.
Remove the lid and simmer for an additional 15 minutes to reduce and thicken the gravy if it appears too thin. Discard the bay leaves. Transfer the filling to a wide dish and cool completely.
While the filling cools, make the pastry. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Gradually add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, bringing the dough together with a cold knife or your hands until it just forms a cohesive ball. Flatten into two discs, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
Roll out one pastry disc on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 4mm. Drape it into your pie dish, pressing it gently into the corners. Trim excess, leaving a slight overhang.
Spoon the cooled beef and stout filling into the pastry-lined dish. Roll out the second pastry disc for the lid. Brush the edges of the bottom pastry with water, lay the lid on top, and crimp the edges together tightly. Cut a small cross in the center to allow steam to escape.
Whisk the egg and milk together to create the egg wash. Brush evenly over the pastry lid. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden brown and crisp.
Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before slicing. This allows the gravy to settle so it does not run out upon cutting.
Chef's Notes
- Always sear your beef in small batches. Overcrowding the pan lowers the temperature and causes the meat to steam rather than brown, robbing your pie of depth.
- Allowing the filling to cool completely before assembling is non-negotiable. Warm filling will melt the butter in your pastry before it hits the oven, ruining the flaky layers.
- A darker, more bitter stout like Guinness or Murphy's balances the sweetness of the root vegetables beautifully. Avoid sweet or flavored stouts.
- For an ultra-glossy finish, apply a double egg wash. Brush once, let it dry for 5 minutes, then brush again just before it goes into the oven.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cover tightly with foil or store slices in airtight containers.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze unbaked or baked. If baked, cool completely before freezing.
Reheating: Reheat baked pie in a 160°C/320°F oven for 20-25 minutes until the center is piping hot. Tent with foil if the pastry gets too dark.
Troubleshooting
Soggy bottom pastry
Cause: The filling was still warm when added, or the bottom wasn't exposed to enough heat
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked
Prevention: Chill the filling completely before assembling. Bake the pie on a preheated heavy baking sheet to transfer heat directly to the bottom.
Tough, chewy pastry
Cause: Overworking the dough or not using sufficiently cold ingredients
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Handle the dough as little as possible, stop mixing as soon as it comes together, and ensure water and butter are ice cold.
Beef is tough
Cause: Insufficient braising time or cooking at a boil instead of a gentle simmer
Fix: Prior to baking, continue simmering until tender. Cannot be fixed once baked into the pie.
Prevention: Ensure the beef simmers gently and test multiple pieces for tenderness before cooling the filling.
Cultural Context
The steak and ale pie is an undisputed titan of British and Irish pub culture, traditionally served alongside creamy mashed potatoes and buttery peas. Using a rich stout instead of lighter ale provides a deeply roasted, malty backbone to the gravy that tenderizes the beef over hours of slow braising.
