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Home » Main Course Recipes » Savory Pie Recipes

Old Fashioned Corned Beef Pie

Published: Feb 13, 2020 · Modified: Aug 13, 2023 by Emma Fajcz · This post may contain affiliate links, which can earn us a commission.

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Are you ready for a slice of history?  This corned beef pie actually has roots in the British Army.  For over a hundred years, British soldiers were fed hardtack and bully beef, a finely minced corned beef mixed with a little gelatin, on the front lines.

This meat was often made into sandwiches, but home cooks, in Wales especially, mixed the canned meat with potatoes and vegetables to make it flavorful.

plate of corned beef pie with fork
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  • Questions
  • How to Make
  • Pro Tips
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  • Other Savory Pies
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Questions

What is corned beef pie?

It's a British dish made from a mixture of canned corned beef, potatoes, mirepoix, beef broth, and seasonings.  The filling is cooked first, then baked with the pastry on top and bottom.

How do you open a can of corned beef?

  • Break off the key from the side of the can.
  • Insert the metal tab on the can into the slit in the key.
  • Turn the key.  The metal strip around the can will roll up around the key.
  • Remove the lid and dump the beef out of the tin.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Yes, it definitely can be made in advance.  The filling can be cooked a few days ahead of time and baked with the pastry on top when you want to serve it.  A fully baked pie can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can I freeze it?

Yes, you can freeze the filling for up to 2 months.  I wouldn't recommend freezing the pastry, as it may not be very crisp after freezing.

How to Make

You'll need some yummy veggies, canned corned beef (or fresh), and some seasonings.

ingredients for the filling of a corned beef pie

Cook up those veggies in a Dutch oven for about 25 minutes, and you have a super flavorful, tempting-to-eat-some filling.

corned beef pie filling in a Dutch oven

Throw everything together to get a beautiful dish.  Just bake, and enjoy!

unbaked corned beef pie

Pro Tips

  • The filling can be made the day before, and assembled and baked when desired.
  • Use good-quality canned corned beef or freshly cooked beef for the best taste.
  • Make your own pastry for the best flavor.
  • Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.  Reheat in the microwave.

Recommended Tools

  • Enamel Dish: a must-have for making beautiful and traditional pies.
  • Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup: a durable measuring cup for liquids and solids.
  • Pastry Brushes: these sturdy brushes don't lose their bristles easily.
  • Vegetable Peeler: the easy-grip handle and swivel blade of this peeler make it super easy to use.

Other Savory Pies

  • half of a chicken, bacon, and apricot pie on a white plate.
    Chicken, Bacon, and Apricot Pies
  • chicken and mushroom pie with a slice taken out
    Chicken and Mushroom Pie
  • slice of ham and cabbage pie with two forks
    Irish Ham and Cabbage Pie
  • Forfar Bridies

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Recipe

person holding a plate of corned beef pie

Old Fashioned Corned Beef Pie

Old fashioned corned beef pie is a British comfort food dinner that your whole family will love.  Potatoes, carrots, celery, and garlic flavor this old-fashioned meat pie made with homemade shortcrust pastry.
5 from 8 votes
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Course: Dinner
Cuisine: British
Prep Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 426kcal
Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients
 

For the Filling

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 cups yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 ½ cups carrot, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 4 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 3 red potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 12- ounce cans corned beef, crumbled
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon English mustard, such as Colman's
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

For the Pastry

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
  • generous 5 tablespoons lard
  • pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
  • 4-6 tablespoons water
Keep your screen on while you work!

Instructions

Making the Pastry (10 minutes + 1 hour chilling)

  • Pour the flour into a medium mixing bowl and add the butter, lard, and salt.  Pinch the fats and mix together with the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  • Mix in the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water, then gradually add additional water until a smooth pastry forms.
  • Knead gently a few times, then shape into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least an hour.

Making the Filling (45 minutes + 25 minutes cooking + 20 minutes cooling)

  • While the pastry is chilling, make the filling.  Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven.  Once the butter is bubbling, add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
  • Stir in the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, then mix in the crumbled corned beef until well blended.
  • Pour in the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, English mustard, and black pepper and stir until combined.  Cover and bring to a boil.
  • Remove the lid and allow the mixture to simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes and vegetables are cooked through, stirring occasionally.
  • Skim off any liquid that hasn't evaporated, then stir in the fresh chopped parsley.
  • Pour the filling into a 9 by 13-inch cake pan and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Baking the Pie (10 minutes + 45 minutes baking + cooling)

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Beat an egg with a fork and set aside.
  • Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it's a little less than ⅛ inch thick.  Line the base of a 6-cup (1.5 liter) pie dish with the pastry, trimming off any excess.
  • Evenly spread the cooled filling in the pastry-lined dish, then brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg.
  • Re-roll the remaining pastry and cover the pie with it.  Press down the edges to seal, then trim off the excess pastry.  Crimp the edges as desired, brush the top with beaten egg, and cut a few vent holes in the top.
  • Bake for 45-55 minutes at 400 F, until the pastry is well browned.  Cover the edges with aluminum foil if they brown too quickly.
  • Let the pie stand for about 15 minutes before serving.  Serve hot or cold.

Video

Notes

  • The filling can be made the day before, and assembled and baked when desired.
  • Use good-quality canned corned beef or freshly cooked beef for the best flavor.
  • There's no need to add salt because the canned beef contains a lot of sodium.
  • Make your own pastry for the best flavor.
  • Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal (21%)Carbohydrates: 51g (17%)Protein: 15g (30%)Fat: 18g (28%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mg (18%)Sodium: 809mg (35%)Potassium: 865mg (25%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 4514IU (90%)Vitamin C: 28mg (34%)Calcium: 55mg (6%)Iron: 4mg (22%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mary

    September 19, 2023 at 12:28 am

    can this pie be reheated if so for how long please

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      September 19, 2023 at 7:04 am

      Yes, it can be reheated. Cover with foil and bake it at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until hot.

      Reply
  2. Igenlode Wordsmith

    August 13, 2023 at 6:39 am

    Doesn't "hot water crust" (pork pie) pastry normally involve melting the fat in boiling water and adding flour? The recipe given --rubbing in and adding cold water-- appears to be for standard shortcrust pastry, although the idea of using hot water crust with corned beef is an interesting one...

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      August 13, 2023 at 7:11 am

      Thanks for letting us know about this mistake in the post, Igenlode. It's been corrected.

      Reply
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Welcome to our kitchen! We're Brooke & Emma Fajcz, the mother-daughter team behind Savor the Flavour. Increase your kitchen confidence with our recipes, instructional photos, and helpful tips and facts. Our recipes have been featured in Oprah Magazine, The Guardian, Parade, Insider, Delish, and BuzzFeed.

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