Steak and Ale Pie
Servings: 6 serves
Ingredients
Filling
- 1.2 kg beef chuck or oyster blade, cut into 4cm cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 300 g chestnut mushrooms, halved
- 300 g pearl onions, peeled (or 2 large onions sliced)
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 440 ml dark English-style ale
- 500 ml beef stock
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp English mustard (Colman's)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and a generous amount of black pepper
Pastry
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
Filling (best made day before)
- Pat the beef dry. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in three batches, 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
- Brown the mushrooms hard for 6 minutes in the same pot. Set aside with the beef.
- Add the pearl onions, brown for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste, cook 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour, stir for 1 minute. Pour in the ale, scrape the pot, reduce by half (about 8 minutes).
- Return the beef and mushrooms. Add stock, brown sugar, Worcestershire, mustard, thyme, bay.
- Cover, simmer over the lowest heat for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the beef collapses to a fork.
- Cool completely. Refrigerate overnight if possible.
Pie
- Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced. Spoon the filling into a deep pie dish (or 6 individual tins).
- Lay the puff pastry over the dish. Trim, press to seal. Cut a 3cm steam slit.
- Mix the egg with milk. Brush generously.
- Bake 28 to 32 minutes until deep amber and bubbling at the edges.
- Rest 10 minutes. Serve with mash and peas.