At our house, we love a hearty British savory pie for dinner, especially when it's this steak and ale pie. Your mouth will be watering for a taste of this rich, ale-flavored stew and buttery puff pastry.
If you love British meat pies, you'll definitely want to check out these recipes for Scottish steak pie and this corned beef pie.
Ingredients
Fortunately, you don't need fancy ingredients to make a delicious steak and ale pie! Let's talk about the key ingredients you'll need.
- Steak: Use braising steak or stewing beef. This normally tough cut will turn quite tender with this long, slow cooking process.
- Ale: Choose a dark brown English ale with a roasty, slightly sweet flavor.
- Veggies: Use a mirepoix (mixture of carrot, onion, and celery) to add lots of flavor to the dish. This recipe also calls for mushrooms, which you can omit if you prefer.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Steak and Ale Pie
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add one-third of the steak chunks and turn to brown on all sides. You'll need to lower the heat to medium so the meat doesn't brown as quickly. Brown the remaining meat in two batches to prevent overcrowding of the pan. (image 1)
- Add the onions to the pan and cook until golden, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. (image 2)
- Deglaze the pan again with beef stock to remove the brown residue on the bottom of the pan (called the fond). Add the celery and carrots and cook until the celery begins to soften. Add the flour to the veggies and cook for a minute. (image 3)
- Add the liquids, HP sauce, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and spices to the pot and stir until well blended. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid has thickened some. (image 4)
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbling. Add the quartered mushrooms and cook until soft and brown, stirring frequently. Add the cooked mushrooms to the simmering stew. (image 5)
- Add the steak to the stew, making sure that there's enough liquid to cover the meat. Cover and simmer on low for 1 ½ hours, then uncover and simmer for another hour, until the meat is tender and the juices have thickened. Remove the bay leaf and allow the stew to cool in the pie dish before putting the pastry on top. (image 6)
- Top the cooled stew with puff pastry and brush with beaten egg. If the stew is too hot, the heat will melt the butter and ruin the lamination. Don't forget to cut a few vent holes to allow the steam to escape as the pie bakes. (image 7)
- Bake at 425°F for 35-40 minutes, until the pastry is a rich golden brown. Allow it to cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. Scoop out individual slices with a spoon and serve with mash and peas. (image 8)
Recipe FAQs
It tastes much like a traditional beef stew, but with unique richness and umami flavor from the ale. The beef and vegetables absorb the flavor from the ale-infused cooking liquid, flavoring the stew beautifully. Additional flavor is added from a bit of HP sauce, brown sugar, cocoa powder, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and a bay leaf.
Braising steak or stewing beef (chuck steak) is the best kind of meat. You want an inexpensive, tougher cut of meat that will become tender with a long, slow cooking process. When you're at the grocery store, make sure to pick a piece of meat that has marbling of fat throughout it and some connective tissues.
A good quality, dark brown English ale is the best choice for steak and ale pie. If you can't find an English ale, Yuengling Black and Tan is a good substitute. Basically, you want to use an ale that has a roasted, slightly sweet taste. A bitter stout such as Guinness is too strong for this recipe.
Bring the stew to a boil to evaporate the alcohol. Too much residual alcohol content can make the stew taste bitter. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, or brown sugar to counteract the bitterness. Try a little at first and add more if needed. Add some beef broth or water. If the only liquid in the stew is ale, it will probably taste bitter.
Reheating Leftovers: Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent the pastry from burning. Bake at 375°F for 30-45 minutes, or until steaming hot.
Freezing After Cooking: Let it cool completely. Seal in an airtight container or zip-top bag, then freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in the microwave or in the fridge overnight.
Freezing Before Cooking: Cook the stew completely, then place it in a freezer-safe dish and cover with puff pastry. Freeze for a few hours, then seal it inside of a zip-top freezer bag (or wrap in a double layer of foil) and freeze for up to 3 months. Unwrap and brush the pastry with beaten egg. Bake from frozen at 400°F for about an hour or more. Cover with foil if it's browning too much.
Serve
What goes well with steak and ale pie? Almost anything, really! Here are a few dishes that taste great with this savory pie. Mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes, green salad, mushy peas, or crusty homemade bread would all be delicious.
Expert Tips
- Use pre-cut stewing steak with marbling of fat throughout the meat. This means the meat will be more flavorful and tender.
- Keep the vegetables chunky, as smaller pieces of veggies will break down into mush during the long cooking process.
- Use a dark brown ale with a roasty, sweet flavor. I used Yuengling Black and Tan.
- Cook the stew low and slow. Stewing beef is typically a tough cut and requires a long cooking time to become tender.
- Let the stew cool before putting the pastry on. Hot stew will melt the butter in it, ruining its delicate layers.
British Comfort Food You'll Love!
Recipe
Steak and Ale Pie with Mushrooms
Ingredients
For the Steak and Ale Filling
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ⅓ pounds stewing beef, cut into chunks
- 2 ½ cups yellow onion, chopped (2 medium onions)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 cups carrot, sliced (3 large carrots)
- 2 cups celery, sliced (5 medium stalks)
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 pound white mushrooms, quartered
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups dark brown English ale
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted beef stock
- 1 tablespoon HP sauce
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the Pastry
- 1 pound puff pastry, chilled
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
Making the Filling
- Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add one-third of the stewing beef and turn down the heat to medium. Flip the cubes of meat with tongs, allowing them to get golden brown and crispy on all sides, then remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Brown the remaining meat in two batches.
- Put the pot on medium-high heat and add the chopped onions. Cook the onions until golden, then lower the heat to medium, add the minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Pour some beef stock or ale into the pan and scrape off the brown fond from the bottom. Add the sliced carrots and celery and cook until the celery just begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the quartered mushrooms and cook until soft and brown, about 5 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently to keep the mushrooms from burning. Once cooked, remove from the heat and set aside.
- Dump the all-purpose flour onto the onion mixture and cook over medium heat for a minute to toast the flour slightly. Pour in the reserved drippings, ale, and stock and bring to a boil. Cook until slightly thickened.
- Dump in the seared steak chunks and any drippings from the plate. Add the HP sauce, brown sugar, cocoa powder, spices, and cooked mushrooms and stir until well mixed. If the steak is not covered with liquid, add ½ cup or more of beef stock, ale, or water to prevent the meat from drying out.
- Cover and bring the stew up to a full boil over medium heat, then turn the heat to medium-low. Simmer covered for 1 ½ hours, then remove the lid and simmer for another hour. The meat should be tender and the liquid should be thickened. Be sure to stir the stew every 15 minutes or so to prevent it from burning on the bottom.
- Let the stew cool to room temperature (or refrigerate overnight) before putting the pastry on top. This step prevents it from melting.
Assembling the Pie
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Spoon the cooled filling into a 6-cup (1.4 liter) capacity dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg.
- Place the chilled puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll out to ⅛ inch thick, making sure it is large enough to cover the dish. Lay the pastry on top of the pie and press down the edges to seal. Trim off the excess, then brush with beaten egg and decorate as desired. Don't forget to cut a few vent holes to allow steam to escape.
- Cook at 425°F for 35-40 minutes. The filling should be gently bubbling and the pastry should be a rich golden brown. Be sure to cover the edges with aluminum foil if it is browning too quickly in the oven.
- Allow it to cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use pre-cut stewing beef with marbling of fat throughout the meat. This means the meat will be more flavorful and tender.
- Keep the vegetables chunky, as smaller pieces of veggies will break down into mush during the long cooking process.
- Use a dark brown ale with a roasty, sweet flavor. I used Yuengling Black and Tan.
- Cook the stew low and slow. Stewing beef is typically a tough cut and requires a long cooking time to become tender.
- Let the stew cool before putting the pastry on. Hot stew will melt the butter in the pastry, ruining the delicate layers in the pastry.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Pam Williams
I wish that when you provide the ability for increasing the number of servings you also update the instructions. For example if you double the recipe the estimated number of carrots does not increase in the cooking instructions. I usually have to print these types of recipes and cross the number of carrots out or do the math myself. Personally I would just stick with the measures provided and not bother confusing people with number of carrots. Just an opinion but a newer cook can get really confused. I can't really rate it's authenticity until I make it but am looking forward to it.
Emma
Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Pam. We use the top recipe card plugin in the world, and it does not currently have the functionality to scale ingredients in the instructions. Perhaps it may in the future.
Alex
The steak and ale pie was so good! The meat was so tender and juicy. It was delicious.
Emma
Thank you, Alex! Steak and ale pie just might be one of my favorite savory pies!
Beth
The gravy adds such flavour to the mushrooms, carrots, and celery. The beef is delicious, and the pastry melts in your mouth. It also smells scrumptious!
Emma
Thank you, Beth! I really enjoyed eating this steak and ale pie, and am glad that you enjoyed it too.