Steak & Mushroom Pie

As pies go a traditional Steak & Mushroom Pie is many people’s favourite, and this recipe is exceptionally good. Yet it really should be called a steak, mushroom, caramelised onion and red wine gravy pie to do it justice. Unlike most pies this pie is made in two parts, the steak pie filling is actually made in a casserole dish in the oven, to get the meat meltingly soft, and the gravy rich and unctuous – like the best beef stew – at the end the pie pastry is only really browned and glazed in the oven when it is finally assembled. This is the secret to making a great pie.

Steak & Mushroom Pie Recipe

Serves 4 to 6 people. You need a 23cm round pie dish (buttered).

Recipe Ingredients:

Pie Filling

• 800g chuck or rump steak (trimmed)
• 300g chestnut mushrooms (quartered)
• 500ml beef stock
• 170ml red wine
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 50g plain flour
• 2 onions (sliced)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 30g butter
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch flaked sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

see this masterclass on making shortcrust pastry

• 425g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 200g butter (cut into cubes)
• pinch ground sea salt
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• 1 egg yolk (for the glaze)

Recipe Method:

Trim off any excess fat and cut the steak into bite-sized cubes and season well with pepper and salt. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the meat over a high heat until it is browned all over. It is best to do this in two or three batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding the pan lowers the temperatures and instead of briskly frying it will stew. Transfer each batch of the fried and browned steak to an oven-proof casserole dish. When all the beef is done toss the pieces in the flour to coat.

Preheat the oven to 150°C

Add another tablespoon of oil to the frying pan and cook the sliced onions and garlic for 5 minutes until they are golden and soft. Deglaze the frying pan with the red wine and add the Worcestershire sauce. Bring the liquid up to the boil to lift all the sediment from the bottom of the pan (use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan clean).

Pour the red wine and deglazed sediment over the floured beef in the casserole dish. Add the beef stock and bay leaf. Put the casserole dish over a medium heat on the stove and bring everything slowly up to the boil. Remove from the heat and cover with the casserole lid. Put this in the preheated oven and cook in the oven for 1 & 1/2 hours (90 minutes) at 150C.

After 90 minutes melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the mushroom quarters until they are lightly browned. Add the mushrooms to the steak and gravy in the casserole dish then return the casserole dish to the oven and cook for another 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove from the oven then leave to cool.

For the shortcrust pastry: see this masterclass on making shortcrust pastry. In a large mixing bowl sift in the flour and add the salt. Take the diced butter and rub this into the flour with your finger-tips, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the beaten egg to bring the flour and butter into a pastry dough which is silky and smooth – add a little cold water if needed. Remove the pastry dough, divide it into two, one a bigger piece than the other (2/3rds and 1/3rd). The bigger pastry ball is for the base of the pie and the smaller pastry ball for the pie crust (lid). Shape each of them into a slightly flattened ball. Cover and chill the pastry balls in the fridge for twenty minutes.

Roll out, on a lightly floured surface, the bigger pastry ball to about 5mm thick and use it to line your buttered pie dish (a deep, 23cm pie dish) – trim it neatly with a little over-hang.

Preheat the oven to 210°C

Add the beef and mushroom filling from the casserole dish into the pastry lined pie dish and brush the edges of the pastry with a little beaten egg yolk. Roll out the remaining pastry for the pie top and carefully lay it over the filling. Trim and crimp the edges with a fork to fully seal the top pastry with the base, then brush the top with beaten egg yolk to glaze. Cut a little steam hole in the centre of the pie lid.

Bake in the oven at 210C for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown, and the steak and mushroom pie filling is piping hot. This Steak & Mushroom Pie goes well with mash potatoes and some seasonal steamed vegetables.