Some days just call for pie. There is something comforting about taking a pie from…
Steak and Ale Pie Recipe
Recently I read the book Cold Grave by Craig Robertson. In one of the scenes in the book the DS Rachel took the time to prepare a meal in order to coax two other people into helping her with the case. She made a Steak and Ale pie and there is a lovely scene where they are sitting eating it at the dinner table, you can almost see the steam rising off the pie as they eat it. The book was set in Scotland in the middle of Winter and Steak and Ale pie was the perfect warming dish.
Inspired by the book I decided I was going to try making a Steak and Ale pie. The weather had turned a bit chilly and more Autumnal. The trees outside are a blaze of colour and I have been finding conkers and acorns lining the path when I have been out walking. It seemed that it would be the perfect dish for a windy wild day.
I have been moaning for some time about my lack of a decent pie dish, when I made my chicken and leek pie I used my casserole dish. While this works it does not look nearly as pretty when you put it on the table. I treated myself to a lovely green rectangular pie dish and I think this is going to become a much used dish. It was the perfect size for the pie.
While I did not make my own pastry, I did get a bit whimsical with the design. The animal gracing the top of the pie is meant to be a cow. It ended up looking a bit more like a llama but it did add a nice touch of decoration to the pie. Next time I will try creating a herd of cows walking across the pie for a dramatic effect.
Whilst the pie did take a while to make it was well worth the effort. The taste of home made pie is so much nicer than shop bought. You also know exactly what is in it and can add herbs and spices to suit your own taste. It went down well with the family as well, plates were cleared and it was the perfect meal for that Autumn day.
Steak and Ale Pie Recipe
Steak and Ale Pie
Ingredients
- 900 g stewing steak
- 25 g flour
- 100 g butter
- 2 onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 150 g button mushrooms
- Fresh thyme
- 400 ml ale
- 500 ml beef stock
- 2 tbsp Worcester Sauce
- Salt and pepper to season
- 300 g puff pastry
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Add the flour to the bowl.
- Dice the steak and add to the flour, making sure each piece is coated.
- Peel and chop the onions, garlic, carrots and mushrooms.
- In a pan melt half the butter and add the meat to the pan,
- Cook until lightly browned.
- Add the vegetables, thyme, ale, stock and Worcester sauce to the pan.
- Bring to the boil then cover and simmer gently for an hour until the meat is soft and the sauce has thickened.
- Pour the mixture into a pie dish.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/428°F/Gas Mark 7.
- Beat the egg and use it to coat the edges of the pie dish so the pastry will stick.
- Roll out the pastry and cover the top of the pie.
- Use the rest of the egg to glaze the top of the pastry.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until the pastry is golden.
As the recipe is based on one in a book I am also linking up with ReadCookEat over on Chez Mazimka blog.
I haven’t had a steak pie in such a long time. My husband loves them though, so I will have to try making them myself. Yours sounds really comforting.
Thank you, It was the perfect meal for a wild and windy day
You really can’t beat a good pie, we love a steak and ale pie here but it’s always interesting to look and see how others make theirs. I love your artwork on the pastry 🙂
#TastyTuesdays
There are so many different ways of making them, but it is definitely worth the effort. It does look a bit more like a llama than a cow 🙂
Very tasty! and creative, even with a cow design. I haven’t read this book but I do enjoy a good thriller. I have a small pie dish, keep thinking I should get a decent-sized one.
I love a good thriller, the only problem is they are hard to put down!
Love that a novel inspired this week’s post and now I’m sooo hungry-stunning! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
Thank you 🙂 I have to admit it was really tasty, will have to make it again soon.
That looks like a great comfort food when its so cold out. yum 🙂
It really is and much easier to make than I thought it would be
Oh my goodness me! That looks awesome!!! Totally my kind of food! Yum Yum! Thank you for joining in with #homemadethursday!