“A kind of pie was made by the Egyptians, the early Romans and the ancient Greeks, but the pastry was used for holding the filling, not for eating.”
It’s a wonderful reminder that pastry wasn’t always the star. By medieval Europe, though, the crust had become integral - eaten with the filling rather than discarded. There are two kinds of pie: the two-crust and the top-crust. This is proudly the latter.
Chuck steak is browned properly in beef dripping, then joined by smoked bacon lardons, onions and carrots. Dark ale, good beef broth, herbs and a spoonful of brown sauce bring depth, before the whole thing is cooked low and slow until tender. We’ve used Chapel Street Porter from Billericay Brewery in a nod to our Essex sensibilities, but any decent stout or porter will do… although perhaps not a coffee one.
The pastry is generous and robust: self-raising flour enriched with grated butter and bone marrow, rolled thick and laid as a single lid. A bone marrow shaft stands proud through the centre - part flourish, part flavour.
Baked until golden and finished with sea salt flakes, this is a pie that proves the crust is no longer just a container. It’s half the pleasure.
The recipe comes from PRIME, published by Mitchell Beazley
Steak & Ale Pie
From PRIME, published by Mitchell Beazley
“A kind of pie was made by the Egyptians, the early Romans and the ancient Greeks, but the pastry was used for holding the filling, not for eating.”
It’s a wonderful reminder that pastry wasn’t always the star. By medieval Europe, though, the crust had become integral — eaten with the filling rather than discarded. There are two kinds of pie: the two-crust and the top-crust. This is proudly the latter.
Chuck steak is browned properly in beef dripping, then joined by smoked bacon lardons, onions and carrots. Dark ale, good beef broth, herbs and a spoonful of brown sauce bring depth, before the whole thing is cooked low and slow until tender. We’ve used Chapel Street Porter from Billericay Brewery in a nod to our Essex sensibilities, but any decent stout or porter will do… although perhaps not a coffee one.
The pastry is generous and robust: self-raising flour enriched with grated butter and bone marrow, rolled thick and laid as a single lid. A bone marrow shaft stands proud through the centre - part flourish, part flavour.
Baked until golden and finished with sea salt flakes, this is a pie that proves the crust is no longer just a container. It’s half the pleasure.
This recipe comes from PRIME, published by Mitchell Beazley
Steak & Ale Pie Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the filling
50g beef dripping
700g chuck steak, cut into large chunks
20g plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
200g smoked bacon lardons
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
300ml dark ale or porter (we used Chapel Street Porter)
400ml good beef broth
1 small bunch of thyme, rosemary and bay (tied together)
2 tablespoons brown sauce
1 bone marrow shaft, about 7cm long
Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
For the pastry
500g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
100g unsalted butter, chilled and grated
100g bone marrow, chilled and grated
About 150ml ice-cold milk, plus extra for glazing
Method
Preheat the oven to 140°C (275°F), Gas Mark 1.
Heat the beef dripping in a large frying pan over a high heat. Toss the steak in the seasoned flour and brown in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole.
Lower the heat slightly and cook the bacon lardons, onions and carrots in the same pan until the fat renders and the vegetables take on colour. Tip into the casserole with the beef.
Deglaze the pan with a splash of the ale, scraping up any caramelised bits, then pour into the casserole. Add the remaining ale, beef broth, herbs and brown sauce. Season well and bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours. Remove the lid and cook for a further hour, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the sauce rich. Remove the herbs, check the seasoning and allow the filling to cool to room temperature.
For the pastry, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the grated butter and bone marrow, then add enough ice-cold milk to bring the dough together. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4.
Spoon the cooled filling into a pie dish and stand the bone marrow shaft upright in the centre. Roll the pastry to about 1cm thick and lay it over the dish, pushing down to seal around the edge. Cut a hole in the centre so the marrow bone can protrude. Crimp the edges, brush with milk and place on a baking tray.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until golden brown. Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes before serving.
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