English Beef Steak Pie Food

EASY STEAK PIE

Steps:

• To make the filling, heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat half the oil in a large casserole dish, brown the meat really well in batches, then set aside. Add the onions adding a drizzle more oil, then cook on a low heat for 5 mins until coloured.
• Scatter over the flour, stirring until the flour turns brown. Tip the meat and any juices back into the pan along with the ketchup and give it all a good stir. Pour over the stock, season, and bring to a simmer then cover with a lid and put in the oven for about 2 hrs, until the meat is tender. The filling can be made up to three days ahead and chilled or frozen for up to three months.
• To make the pie, heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the filling into a 24-26cm rimmed pie dish and brush the rim of the dish with some yolk. Unravel the pastry, drape over the dish and use a knife to trim and press the edges against the side of the dish. Re-roll your trimmings to make a decoration if you like. Brush the pie heavily with egg yolk. Make a few little slits in the centre of the pie and bake for 40 mins until golden. Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving.

PROPER BEEF, ALE & MUSHROOM PIE

Steps:

• If you're using the porcini mushrooms, cover 10g of mushrooms in boiling water for 20 mins, then squeeze out but keep the soaking water.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large casserole dish, brown 1kg large chunks of braising steak really well in batches, then set aside.
• Add 2 large onions, roughly chopped, and 4 large carrots, chopped into large chunks, to the pan. Add a drizzle more vegetable oil, then cook on a low heat for 5 mins until coloured.
• Add the soaked porcini mushrooms, sizzle for 1 min more, then scatter over 2 tsp golden caster sugar and 4 tbsp plain flour, stirring until the flour turns brown.
• Tip the braising steak and any juices back into the pan and give it all a good stir.
• Pour over 300ml dark ale, 2 beef stock cubes mixed with 400ml boiling water and the porcini mushroom soaking liquid, discarding the last few drops.
• Season the stew, tuck in a small tied-together bunch of thyme, bay leaf and parsley, and bring everything to a simmer.
• Cover with a lid and place in the oven for about 2 hrs, until the braising steak is really tender.
• While the stew is cooking, heat a drop more vegetable oil in a frying pan and sizzle 200g smoked bacon lardons for 3 mins until crisp.
• Turn up the heat, add 200g halved chestnut mushrooms and cook for 4 mins until golden. Remove from the heat and, when the stew is cooked, stir them through.
• Leave everything to cool completely - better still, make this up to 2 days in advance and keep it in the fridge as the pie will be better if the filling is fridge-cold when added. Can also be frozen for up to 3 months and defrosted when needed.
• Make the pastry up to 2 days before you want to assemble the pie. Crumble 650g plain flour and 250g cold diced lard or butter, together with a generous pinch of sea salt until completely combined, then add up to 200ml ice-cold water to make a soft dough. This can be done in a food processor if you want.
• Knead the pastry, then wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hr. The pastry can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge or frozen for up to a month.
• When you want to make the pie, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and place a flat baking tray in the oven. Heavily grease a 24-28cm pie dish and dust well with flour.
• Cut a third off the pastry and set aside. Roll out the pastry to a thickish round that will easily line the pie dish with an overhang, then line the tin.
• Add the braising steak to the dish using a slotted spoon so some gravy is left in the container, as you don't want too much sauce in the pie. You want the filling to be slightly higher than the rim of the dish. If you have a bit too much, set it aside.
• Roll out the remaining pastry to a thick round big enough to cover the dish. Brush the edges of the pastry in the dish with 1 beaten egg yolk, then cover with the pastry lid.
• Trim the edges, crimp the pastry, then re-roll your trimmings to make a decoration, for example, pastry leaves. Brush the top heavily with egg. Make a few little slits in the centre of the pie, place on the hot baking tray.
• Bake for 40 mins until golden. Leave the pie to rest for 10 mins while you heat up the gravy left in the container. Serve the pie at the table with a jug of gravy and a big pile of greens.

STEAK PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef stew meat, and cook until browned on the outside. Add the onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushroom gravy mix and 1 cup of water. Season with Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Turn heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Transfer the beef mixture to a casserole dish. Roll out the puff pastry to cover the top of the casserole dish. Press edges onto the rim of the dish to seal. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water in a small cup using a fork. Brush over the top of the pastry.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

BEEF STEAK PIE

Steps:

• Prepare pie crust by stirring together the flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter or a food processor, cut the shortening and butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour mixture and gently stir it in using a fork, then repeat with the remaining water, adding 2 tablespoons at a time, just until the dough starts to come together. Use your hands to press the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Season the meat with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned meat, working in batches if necessary, and searing until nicely browned on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of oil if the skillet is looking dry, then add the onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add the carrots, celery and potato and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften a bit and the onions look translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook 2-3 minutes more.
• Add the chopped rosemary, thyme, and oregano and cook for another 30 seconds, then sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat everything evenly. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the beef broth until flour is completely dissolved, then add the seared beef back to the vegetables and gravy. Cover the skillet or dutch oven with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 1 1/2-2 hours or until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Allow the chilled pie crust dough to sit on the counter for 10 minutes before rolling it out to assemble the pie.
• Pour the beef stew filling into a deep pie dish until 3/4 full. Any remaining stew can be used to make individual size pies or eaten plain.
• Roll out the pie crust on a floured surface, then transfer it to cover the beef filling, making sure there is some overhand so the crust doesn't shrink entirely away from the side of the pie dish while baking.
• Decorate the pie with leaves cut from scraps of pie crust, if desired and brush the entire crust with the beaten egg. Cut slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

PUB-STYLE STEAK AND ONION PIE

Steps:

• In a large dutch oven or sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive or avocado oil.
• In a bowl, toss the meat in 1/4 cup of flour to coat.
• Add diced onion, carrots, and celery to dutch oven. Saute for a few minutes until veggies begin to soften and the onion is translucent.
• Next, add the meat to the pan and saute until browned on all sides.
• Add in garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and tomato paste.
• Then, add the potatoes to the pot and pour in the Worcestershire sauce, beer and beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to get the browned bits off.
• Heat, covered, over medium-low heat for 45-50 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
• After the stew has cooked through, make a slurry with 3 tablespoons of flour and 1/2 cup of cold water in a separate bowl, then pour into the stew to thicken it. Stir and turn off the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, unroll the refrigerated pie crust and press into a 9-inch pie pan.
• Fill your pie dish with the stew filling, roll out the other pie crust and cover the pie. Brush the top crust with egg yolk, cut a couple of slits in the center of the crust and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
• Let rest for a few minutes, then enjoy!