The Hairy Bikers love pies so much, they have a whole cookbook dedicated to them. Here, they perfect one of Britain's favourite dishes – the steak and ale pie.
The Hairy Bikers‘ cooking steak and ale pie might just be the pinnacle of Britishness and Si and Dave know that the key to a good pie is a lovely golden crust and a juicy filling. This recipe uses stewing steak – cooked with herbs, veggies and the ale for an hour – to create a tender middle to your pie. If you’re a purist and want to do everything from scratch, here’s how to make your own puff pastry – but the Hairy Bikers opt for shop-bought, which works just as well. Great served with mash, peas and oodles of gravy, if it’s hearty comfort food you’re after, this steak and ale pie is hard to beat. This recipe is featured in the Hairy Bikers’ Perfect Pies cookbook.
Ingredients
- 900g stewing steak, diced
- 25g flour, plus extra for dusting
- 100g butter
- 2 onions roughly chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 150g button mushrooms
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 400ml good-quality ale
- 500ml beef stock
- Salt and pepper
- 1 egg, beaten for glazing
- 300g ready-made rolled puff pastry
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C/428°F/Gas Mark 7.
Pour flour into a bowl and season well. Coat the meat with the seasoned flour.
Heat half the butter in a heated pan and add the meat. Sear all over until golden brown.
Add the vegetables, herbs, ale and stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and gently simmer for 1 hr. When cooked, season, add the remaining butter and pour into an ovenproof serving dish.
Brush the edge of the dish with the beaten egg. Roll out the pastry using as little flour as possible and place over the dish. Pinch the edges of the dish so that the pastry will stick to it and trim off any remaining pieces of pastry from around the edge. Brush the pastry top thoroughly with the remaining beaten egg and place on a baking tray.
Bake in the oven for 20-30 mins until the pastry is golden brown on top.
Top tips for making Hairy Bikers’ steak and ale pie recipe
Leftover pie can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat thoroughly before serving again. This can be done in the oven on a low heat or in the microwave for speed. Make sure the pie is piping hot before serving.
