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This recipe for Steak and Ale Pie is a classic British dish made with tender beef, brown ale, and a cheddar pie crust. It’s savory, comforting, and delicious!
Easy Steak and Ale Pie Recipe
We keep this British meat pie recipe simple. It’s full of succulent pieces of beef, shallots, and garlic. While other recipes add veggies as well, but we didn’t this time. Feel free to make your favorite side dish such as green beans or peas!
The steak and ale are the stars of the show in this meat pie. The beef chuck is cooked in the broth mixture with ale, Worcestershire, and tomato paste, imparting so much delicious flavor into the meat while providing moisture to keep it tender. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
If you adore this recipe, then you should try my Guinness Beef Stew for your next dinner!
What You’ll Need
Here are all of the ingredients needed to make this scrumptious steak and ale pie. It’s actually a very cost-effective dish!
For the Steak and Ale Pie
- Boneless Beef Chuck: This is my favorite cut because all the fat breaks down while it cooks making the meat extra juicy and flavorful. Cut it into 1-inch pieces.
- Flour
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Shallots
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic cloves are best but jarred garlic will work in a pinch.
- Tomato Paste
- Chicken Broth
- Brown Ale or Stout: Use any variety you like. You can use Newcastle for “ale”, but I used Guinness stout for this recipe.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Thyme: I use dried thyme but you can use fresh as well.
For the Cheddar Crust
- Cheddar: Aged cheddar is my favorite for this beef and ale pie.
- Puff Pastry
- Dry Mustard
- Egg: This is for the egg wash to brush on top so you get a brown crust.
How to Make Steak and Ale Pie
This steak and ale pie recipe is a labor of love. Your house is going to smell amazing while it cooks!
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch pie plate with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside.
- Prepare the steak. Pat dry the beef cubes with a paper towel and sprinkle with flour, salt, and pepper. Be sure to cover all sides.
- Brown the steak. Heat a large cast iron pot at high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the beef cubes to the pot and sear on all sides. When done with each batch, place them on a tray and repeat the process until all of the beef has been browned.
- Cook. Add shallots and garlic to the pot along with 3 tablespoons of broth. Scrape as much of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as possible.Next, add the tomato paste once the shallots are soft and cook for an additional minute.
- Cook the steak. Return the beef to the pot. Combine with the remaining broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown ale, and thyme. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place the pot into the oven. Cover for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. It’s ready when the beef is fork-tender and the sauce is nice and thick.
Making the Pastry Shell for the Pie
- Prepare puff pastry. Lay out a piece of parchment paper on your countertop and scatter ½ cup of cheddar cheese. Then place 1 sheet of puff pastry on top of the cheese and roll it out and press it into the cheese so it sticks.
- Add the dry mustard and remaining grated cheese to the puff pastry and cover with the 2nd sheet of pastry.
- Roll it out and cut it to the same diameter as your pie plate and chill it in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the pie. Let the beef pie filling mixture to cool to room temperature and then transfer it to the pie plate. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
- Add puff pastry crust. Cover the beef with the puff pastry, cheese side down. Press the edges to seal.
- Egg wash the crust. In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush it on the cheddar crust.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes and serve!
How to Store Leftovers
Cover the pie plate with plastic wrap or transfer leftovers into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheating the steak and ale pie in the microwave is not recommended because it makes the crust soggy. Place it in an oven-safe dish and cover with aluminum foil. Heat in the oven at 250 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
Variations
- Vegetables: Add whatever chopped veggies you want to the filling. Carrots, peas, and mushrooms are great examples.
- Cheese: Swap the aged cheddar with parmesan, gruyere, or even Manchego.
- Crust: Feel free to swap the puff pastry cheddar crust to our popular (and easy) homemade pie crust recipe.
More Savory Pie Recipes
- Chili Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Crockpot Frito Pie
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Easy Layered Taco Pie
Steak and Ale Pie
This recipe for Steak and Ale Pie is a classic British dish made with tender beef, brown ale, and a cheddar pie crust. It’s savory, comforting, and delicious!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Beef Pot Pie
- 3 pounds beef chuck boneless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup shallots sliced
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 11.2 oz brown ale or stout (such as New Castle for Ale or Guinness for Stout)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Cheddar Crust
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated, aged
- 2 sheets puff pastry thawed, store-bought, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F, grease an 9-inch pie plate.
- Place beef cubes in a shallow tray and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Sprinkle beef with flour, salt, and pepper, turning cubes to properly coat all sides.
- In a large cast iron pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil on high.
- Shake excess flour from beef cubes and transfer them to the pot and sear so that all sides are browned. Place browned beef on a shallow tray and repeat the process with the remaining beef. (You will need to do this in three batches to get a nice sear on the meat and not to overcrowd the pot). You may need to add more oil before each addition of meat to the pot.
- Once all the beef has browned, remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Add the shallots, garlic, and 3 tablespoons broth to the pot, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom.
- Once the shallots have softened, add the tomato paste and continue cooking for about one minute.
- Add the beef with any accumulated juices to the pot along with the remaining broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown ale, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover with the lid, and place in the oven.
- Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- While the beef is cooking, make the cheddar crust by scattering ½ cup of the grated cheese on a parchment-lined countertop. Place 1 sheet of puff pastry over top and roll it out so the cheese presses into the puff pastry.
- Add dry mustard and remaining cheese, and cover with the second puff pastry sheet. Continue to roll it out to measure 12-inch square (or whatever diameter your pie dish is)
- Cut a 12-inch circle from the puff pastry and place it in the fridge to chill.
- Once the beef is done, remove it from oven and let it cool to room temperature (you can speed up this process by placing it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Increase oven temperature to 425°F.
- Once the beef has cooled, transfer it to the prepared pie plate.
- Place the puff pastry circle cheese-side down on top of the beef and press the edges to form a seal.
- Whisk together 1 tablespoon of water and egg in a shallow dish and, brush mixture over the pastry.
- Place in oven and bake until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown about 25 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Calories: 1070kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 1447mg | Potassium: 1179mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 498IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 219mg | Iron: 9mg
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1 thought on “Steak and Ale Pie”
Oh my gosh we are so delighted by this amazing pie! I was really careful in my prep so it took a while to put together but it was worth all of it! We marveled at the delicious sauce and the melt in your mouth beef! Next time mushrooms and carrots but it is a stand alone feast and as always with your recipes it does not disappoint and I can’t wait for the left overs! It will go into my company’s coming dishes! Thank you for putting it up for us to try.