My double-crusted Beef & Ale Pie made with puff pastry is a stunner of a comfort dish. The rich beef filling includes a vegetable base, mushrooms, ale and beef stock all slow cooked to make an umami packed stew with a thick gravy. It’s ideal to be fully encased in flaky puff pastry and baked to golden perfection.
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I shared the recipe for my Chicken, Ham & Mushroom Pie many years ago and this classic steak version has been on my list to make and share for a very long time. It seems that everyone loves a pie and every time I share any kind of pastry recipe, it’s popular in ways even I can’t even comprehend.
Really this is the bigger and more grown up version to my Steak Bake recipe. This pie starts with a vegetable base of onions and carrots. I blitz them before gently frying so they form the body of the rich beefy gravy. I love the addition of mushrooms which act as flavour sponges and the bottle of brown ale gives it a next level richness. Of course the beef remains the star of the show – first seared until browned then cooked gently in the gravy.
How to Serve Beef & Ale Pie
This is a big pie designed for sharing – unless you’re exceedingly hungry I guess! It lends itself to being served in a similar way to a classic roast dinner. I’m always going to add a potato dish and then at least 2 vegetables. I like at least one roasted veg and one boiled or steamed for variety. Of course I used my air fryer for many of the side recipes.
- Air fried roasted baby potatoes
- Air fried butternut squash cubes
- Air fried fine green beans
- Sauteed curly kale
I did grow up often being served pie dinners with chips as a side and more often than not some baked beans. Do with that information what you will!
Steak & Ale Pie Ingredients
Beef
Because the filling for the pie is cooked a little slower, you can afford to use a tougher cut of beef that requires more cooking to soften and break down. Here in the UK this is often sold as braising steak or stewing steak. You can also look to buy topside or silverside beef – these are often labelled as “beef roasting joints”. In the US you would usually look for chuck or similar steak.
You can also use pricier or more premium cuts. I know that I often get good deals of rump steak and I do like to use that. Sirloin also works well. Fillet steak or beef rib would make for a very expensive pie.
If the beef you buy isn’t already cut up, you can easily do this with a sharp knife – aim for roughly 1 inch chunks. Don’t be scared of including some fat – this will render down and add to the flavour and sauce.
Pastry
I’ve made this particular pie with puff pastry. It is entirely up to you if you want to make it yourself, buy a block or buy ready rolled pastry.
I do love making my own but on this occasion I did use ready rolled so that I could show how to line a round pie dish with a rectangle of ready rolled pastry. I’ve included basic instructions for how to do this in the recipe on this page. But for very detailed instructions, I’ve created a dedicated page for your to refer to.
How to Line a Round Pie Dish with Ready Rolled Puff Pastry (UK)
Not only can you make this pie with puff pastry, you could also use homemade rough puff, shortcrust or even suet pastry. Try one of my easy to follow recipes:
Puff Pastry Recipe
All Butter Shortcrust Pastry Recipe
American Pie Pastry Recipe (Buttery Rough Puff)
Traditional Suet Pastry Recipe
Vegetables
For the vegetable base I’ve used carrots and onions, both peeled and then blitzed to a puree. It would be quite common for celery to also make an appearance at this stage but I can’t stand the stuff. If you are a fan or have some to use up then by all means replace some of the other vegetables with it.
As for the mushrooms if you are choosing to add them, I opted to use button mushrooms. I like how they are the perfect size when halved and how they keep their shape through the cooking process. If you prefer to use larger mushrooms, just cut them until they are quite small pieces.
Ale
As long as you avoid lager, you can use any beer you like. I opted for a pretty middle of the road, and fairly cheap brown ale. The darker the ale that you choose, the darker in both colour and flavour the finished gravy sauce will be. You can go as far as using a stout like Guinness and Murphy’s for a very deep flavour.
For an alternative flavour you can substitute the ale with red wine – roughly the same amount will work perfectly. If you don’t want to use alcohol at all, you can simply replace it with more beef stock.
Beef Stock
If you have some fresh homemade beef stock then that is the crème de la crème option to use. You can alternatively buy beef stock in cans or pouches ready made. Or make some up using a concentrated stock pot, liquid bouillon or if needs must, a stock cube.
If you don’t have beef as an option, use chicken and if that isn’t an option either, use a vegetable stock. If you are really struggling for whatever reason, use water. You will still get some good flavour from the beef itself. You may find that you need to add more salt to make up for the lack of salt in the stock.
Seasonings
The remaining added flavours come in the form of mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce and simple sea salt.
The mustard powder adds a little piquancy. You can use prepared mustard instead. If you don’t love the sharpness of English mustard, use Dijon. Don’t use any American style yellow mustard, it is too sweet for this recipe.
Worcestershire sauce adds a depth and richness to the gravy that is difficult to replicate. Henderson’s sauce is a good alternative but if you have neither, a dash of Thai fish sauce will actually do wonders. Both are sauces based on fermented anchovies and share many of the same flavour depths.
Be Flexible
I’ve already discussed that you can change the type of pastry you are using. You can choose the kind of beef you use. And you can switch in red wine for the ale and omit the mushrooms if you prefer. You can try some of these other small tweaks too:
- Fry 100g cubed pancetta or bacon until golden and crispy after searing the beef. Include in the filling when it is all put back into the pan.
- Add a bundle of fresh thyme stalks to the sauce when it starts to cook. Remove them before setting the filling aside to cool. Don’t add loose stalks unless you are willing to spend time finding them all and fishing them out. Alternatively add a shake of dried thyme leaves. Oregano also works well.
Vegetarian or Vegan Steak Pie
I often go to great lengths in my recipes to suggest substitutions to make a recipe suitable for vegetarians or vegans. But this is the kind of recipe where it is just not worth going through the rigmarole. I would suggest looking for a dedicated recipe for a more suitable pie filling.
Make Allergy Friendly Puff Pastry Steak Pie
This recipe is free from nuts.
Gluten Free: Gluten free puff pastry is readily available to buy. If you can’t find it ready rolled in the chillers, you should at least be able to find it as blocks in the freezer. To thicken the gravy and dust the counter when rolling the pastry, you can use a gluten free flour in place of the wheat flour. You will also need to make sure that you buy a dedicated gluten free ale. Ale is made from barley which is a gluten containing grain.
Dairy Free: Providing you make sure to use a standard commercial puff pastry which doesn’t actually contain any dairy or butter, this recipe is actually dairy free as written.
Egg Free: The only egg in this recipe is used to wash the pie. You can use cream or milk in place of the egg if needed. You won’t get quite the same shine on the pastry but it isn’t going to affect the taste in any way.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
Equipment Notes for Puff Pastry Steak Pie
I’ve talked in detail about my preferred pie dishes in my post dedicated to showing you how to How to Line a Round Pie Dish. For this pie I’ve used a 23cm/9″ enamel pie dish with fairly straight sides and a lip that makes cutting and crimping the pastry very easy and satisfying.
I use a food processor to blitz the vegetables, If you don’t have a processor, blender or mini chopper, simply cut the vegetables as small as you can with a sharp knife instead.
All the other equipment you need should be standard in most kitchens – knives, scales, cutting boards, a good sized pan, spatulas, etc.
A comprehensive list of the equipment used to make this recipe is included in the main recipe card below. Click on any item to see an example. There are no hard and fast rules so many items can be sensibly substituted to achieve the same results.
Get Ahead
Because the pie filling needs to be properly cooled before being added to the pastry, it is not only easy to get ahead with this recipe, it is actively a good idea to. The beef filling can be made several days in advance and stored in the fridge. Make sure to use an air-tight container. You can also make it and freeze it. Simply allow it to defrost fully then add to the pastry. If the pie is something you intend making on multiple occasions, it is handy to bake up several batches at once and then freeze them in pie sized portions
You can also make up the whole pie, pastry and decorations included and then store it for a couple of days in the fridge before baking. Do make sure that the pie is well wrapped in cling film or pastry to prevent the top from drying out.
You can also freeze the whole pie. In theory you should be able to freeze it in the pie dish then remove and place in a bag or container once fully frozen. When it comes time to defrost, place the unwrapped pie back into the same pie dish and allow to thaw. Don’t try to allow it to just defrost not in a dish – it will just fall apart. Also please don’t cook the pie from frozen – a pie this size will be burnt before the filling has a chance to fully heat through in the middle.
Leftover Steak Pie
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for several days or frozen. It is best to freeze in individual portions for easy defrosting and reheating.
There are a few options for how to reheat the steak pie portions. Firstly you can simply microwave them. This is fast and effective. But it doesn’t result in the crispest pastry.
Alternatively you can reheat in the oven or air fryer. This will revive the pasty and the top at least will largely crisp up again. The problem however is that the filling has a tendency to spread everywhere. To combat this, the best thing to do is use the smallest dish or tin you can squeeze the slice or slices into. This way you are effectively using the sides of the dish in place of the missing sides of the pastry.
Beef & Ale Pie Tips
You must keep your pastry cold and not add the filling until there is absolutely no warmth left it in at all. Warm filling makes warm pastry which makes the fat least everywhere instead of staying in the pastry where you want it.
I’ve suggested searing the beef in two batches in the recipe. But if you have a slightly smaller pan, you may need to work in more batches. It is worth the extra effort and time to make sure that the beef fries instead of boiling in an overcrowded pan.
Don’t feel like you have to make a pretty decorated pie. I just like to faff around with the pastry scraps – I find it quite soothing but it serves no real purpose other than to look nice. If this isn’t your thing then skip it.
The same is not true for crimping the edges of the pie – this has a purpose. But if you don’t want a frilly crimp, just use the back of a form to press the top and bottom pieces of of pastry together.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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More Pie Recipes
The Recipe
Beef & Ale Pie with Puff Pastry Recipe
Equipment
- Stockpot with lid
Ingredients
To Sear the Beef
- 1 kg Diced Beef Steak
- 3 tbsp Plain Flour (All Purpose)
- 2 tsp Sea Salt Flakes
- 1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
- 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil - split
Vegetable Base
- 300 g Carrots - 250g prepared
- 400 g Onion - 300g prepared
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes
Optional Mushrooms
- 200 g Button Mushrooms
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes
For the Gravy
- 2 tsp English Mustard Powder
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 500 ml Ale
- 500 ml Beef Stock
For the Pie
- 640 g Puff Pastry
- 1 Egg
- Plain Flour (All Purpose) - for dusting
Instructions
To Sear The Beef
- Put 1 kg Diced Beef Steak in a mixing bowl. Make sure it is thoroughly dry.
- Sprinkle over 3 tbsp Plain Flour, 2 tsp Sea Salt Flakes and 1 tsp Black Pepper.
- Toss the beef in the flour and seasoning really well until all the beef cubes are thoroughly coated.
- Heat 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil in a large saucepan or stockpot. Once sizzling hot, add half of the beef cubes and fry until all sides of the beef are browned. This should take around 5 minutes.
- Set the browned beef aside in a bowl and repeat with a further 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil and the remainder of the beef.
Make The Vegetable Base
- Prepare 300g Carrot and 400g Onion by topping and tailing, peeling and cutting into large chunks. Add to the bowl of a food processor.
- Blitz until all vegetables are chopped very small. You can do this by hand but it will take a little white longer.
- Add to the same pan you used to cook the beef along with 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil and 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes.
- Fry on a medium heat until the vegetables have started to soften. You’ll see that they shrink and become a little more dry.
- Set the cooked vegetables aside along with the beef.
Cook the (Optional) Mushrooms
- Prepare 200g Button Mushrooms by brushing off any dirt, removing the very end of the stalk if they’re gnarly and cutting them in half.
- Fry in the same pan as before along with 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil and 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes.
- Cook until the mushrooms are brown and the liquid that they release as they cook has evaporated off.
Assemble and Cook the Pie Filling
- Add the beef, vegetables and mushrooms back to the large pan.
- Add 2 tsp Mustard Powder and 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce.
- Pour in 500ml Ale and 500ml Beef Stock (I’ve used a beef stock pot and water added directly to the pan).
- Stir well and bring the filling up to a boil over a high heat.
- Once boiling, add the lid to the pan and reduce the heat so it is lightly simmering.
- Cook for 2 hours. Stir every 30 minutes or so just to make sure nothing is catching on the bottom.
- Remove the lid and turn up the heat. Cook for around 30 minutes or until the liquid has significantly reduced and the beef is coated in a nice thick gravy.
- Move the pie filling into a container and set aside to fully cool. This will take a few hours.
Assemble the Pie
- Click to go to my detailed step-by-step instructions how to line the pie dish, add the lid, seal, crimp and decorate in my dedicated how-to post if needed.
- Roll out 320g Puff Pastry to line the bottom of the pie dish.
- Spoon in the cold pie filling.
- Make sure that it is pushed right into the corners and is nice and evenly spread.
- Use a further 320g Puff Pastry to make the pie lid.
- Crimp the edges of the pie to ensure a proper seal.
- Beat 1 Egg in a small bowl and use this to seal the edges of the pie and wash the top.
- Decorate however you like!
Bake The Pie
- Preheat the oven to 200c Fan | 220c | 390f.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling of the pie is piping hot.
- Note: To check this, you can insert a metal knife into the centre of the pie and feel the temperature of the metal when you take it out.
- Serve hot!
Karen says
You can’t beat a proper pie with a double crust. I made this for dinner and there were no leftovers. The pie filling is delicious, really rich and full of flavour.