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Steak and Ale Pie

Image of Steak and Ale Pie

Preparation time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Serves: 6

Scale to servings

Adapted from: Ainsley Harriott's Friends and Family Cookbook

This is an absolutely gorgeous dish; rich and warming for the winter months! Well worth the time.

Ingredients
  • 25 g / 1oz plain flower
  • 900 g / 2lb diced stewing or braising steak
  • 5 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 25 g / 1oz butter
  • 225 g / 8oz small chestnut mushrooms
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 300 ml / 10fl-oz beef stock
  • 300 ml / 10fl-oz brown ale
  • 1 tsp tomato purée
  • leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 500 g / 1lb-2oz packet chilled puff pastry
  • 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
  1. Season the flour with salt and pepper, put into a bowl with the beef, and toss together well until all the peices are coated.
  2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large, flameproof casserole, add half the beef and fry over a high heat until browned. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the beef. Set aside.
  3. Add half the butter and the mushrooms to the pan and fry briskly over a high heat for 2 minutes. Set aside with the beef. Add the rest of the oil and butter, the onions and sugar to the casserole, and cook over a medium-high heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently until nicely browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Stir any remaining seasoned flour into the onions, followed by the beef stock, brown ale, tomato purée, thyme leaves and Worcestershire sauce and bring to the boil, stirring.
  5. Return the beef and mushrooms to the pan, season with salt and pepper, part-cover and simmer for 1½ hours until the beef is just tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Leave to go cold.
  6. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
  7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and then put a 1.75litre / 3pint pie dish upside-down in the centre of it. Cut out a lid which is about 2.5cm / 1" larger than the dish, and then cut a small hole in the centre to let out the steam during cooking.
  8. Spoon the filling into the pie dish. Put the pastry lid on top of the filling, and push it against the pie dish to form a good seal.
  9. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg and bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling hot.