Savory Beef Ale-Free Pie (Printable)

Tender beef and vegetables simmered in a rich gravy, baked in golden flaky pastry.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 tbsp olive oil
02 - 1.75 lb (800 g) beef chuck or stewing steak, cut into 0.75-inch (2 cm) cubes
03 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 2 tbsp plain flour
09 - 1 2/3 cups (400 ml) beef stock
10 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 tsp dried rosemary
13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Pastry

15 - 13 oz (375 g) ready-rolled shortcrust pastry or homemade equivalent
16 - 1 egg, beaten (for glaze)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Set the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef cubes in batches, transferring each browned batch to a plate.
03 - Add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until softened.
04 - Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and flour, cooking for 2 more minutes while stirring continuously.
05 - Gradually pour in beef stock, scraping browned bits from the pan. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, then return the browned beef. Season with salt and pepper.
06 - Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender and gravy thickens. Remove bay leaves and allow filling to cool.
07 - Transfer the cooled beef mixture into a 1.5-quart (1.5-liter) pie dish.
08 - Roll out pastry to cover the dish. Place over filling, trim excess pastry, and crimp edges to seal. Cut a small steam vent in the center.
09 - Brush the pastry surface with beaten egg wash to promote golden browning.
10 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp.
11 - Let the pie rest for 5 minutes to set before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely forgiving and makes your kitchen smell like home cooking without hours of fuss.
  • The filling is so tender and rich that people always assume you've been working all day, even though most of that time is just simmering.
  • One pie feeds a crowd and tastes even better the next day reheated.
02 -
  • Cool the filling completely before adding the pastry—a warm filling creates steam that makes the bottom soggy and the top won't crisp properly.
  • Don't skip browning the beef in batches; crowding the pan steams the meat instead of searing it, and you lose all that caramelized flavor.
  • If your gravy seems thin after the 1.5-hour simmer, simmer uncovered for another 10-15 minutes to reduce it down.
03 -
  • Brown your beef properly—don't rush this step, as it's where all the deep flavor comes from and separates good beef pie from great beef pie.
  • Taste the filling before it goes into the oven and adjust salt and pepper; remember that seasoning becomes slightly more concentrated as the pastry bakes.

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