Recipe Of The Week: Steak Pie

February 3, 2016 by Joanna Harrison

Quick & Easy Steak Pie Recipe

Ingredients

Filling

• 25g sunflower oil
• 25g plain flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 500-700g braising steak, cut into small pieces
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 225g (8 oz) button mushrooms, halved (optional)
• 3 beef stock cubes
• 600ml (1 pint) boiling water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 225g (8 oz) plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 100g (4 oz) butter
• Cold water to mix (1-1 1/2 teaspoons per 30g / 1 oz of flour)
• 1 egg

The Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
2. Sift the flour into a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Toss the meat pieces in the flour to lightly coat and then add the meat to the frying pan and keep the remaining seasoned flour to one side.
3. Fry the meat in the oil until brown and then add the onion and optional mushrooms.
4. Sprinkle the remaining flour into the pan and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and add more seasoning.
5. Add the stock cubes to the boiling water and stir until dissolved, then add it into the pan so that the meat is covered. If your frying pan is quite small then you may find it easier to transfer the meat mixture to a bigger saucepan before adding the stock.
6. Leave this to simmer for about 30 minutes or until the sauce is as thick or thin as you like it. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150 C / Gas 2.
7. Whilst this is simmering I make the pastry by firstly sifting the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
8. Add the butter and cut into the flour using a knife and then rub in with fingers. The mixture should look like fine breadcrumbs.
9. Slowly add cold water to the crumbs and mix to a stiff crumbly looking paste. Draw together with fingertips, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead quickly until smooth and crack free.
10. Once the filling is to your desired consistency (I usually find it’s just right after about 30 minutes simmering), pour the mixture into a pie dish.
11. Roll out the pastry so that is big enough to cover the pie dish. The thinner you roll it out the crispier your pastry will be. Cover the pie dish with the pastry and pierce a few times with a fork so that air can escape. Trim any excess pastry from the edges.
12. Beat the egg in a cup and brush it all over the pastry
13. Place in the oven for 40 minutes and then turn the temperature up to 200-220 C / Gas 6-7 and cook for a further 20 minutes or until golden brown.