How To Make Beef and Ale Pie, Home Made Beef Recipes

How To Make Beef and Ale Pie, Home Made Beef Recipes

A beef and ale pie is traditionally British and it is a variation on the steak pie popular in many countries. Beef and ale pies characteristically use good quality meat and beer with a fine puff or short crust pastry. There are many variations, using local ingredients. For example it's still possible to find beef, ale and oyster pies on the menus of pubs and restaurants in Kent where the oyster industry still thrives and in Ireland steak and Guinness pies reflect local tastes.

Beef Recipes

This Beef and Ale Pie recipe is a very traditional dish, variations of it exist throughout the UK and even further afield.

If you want to give it a distinctly Kentish flavour try using a Kentish Ale. Shepherd Neame have a few but if you check with your local CAMRA you'll be sure to find a micro brewery that retails in your area.

The secret to the taste is in the quality of the beef and ale that you use not just the preparation. I'm not a great fan of fussy cooking but I think you should consider marinating the beef in the ale for at least two hours before you cook. Secondly I always look for a heavy full flavour in the ale I use, something like a porter or even a stout.

A lot of it is down to your own personal taste but I try and avoid anything light and gassy.

The better quality meat you use the better the end product will be, however I usually use stewing steak, anything more expensive I'd rather eat as a steak with a glass of Kentish Ale on the side. Once again you'll see I haven't used onions in the dish, that's a personal choice, if you prefer you can use onion instead of or in addition to leeks. Good quality stock will make a difference.

The crucial moment in the preparation of this dish is just before the pie crust goes on top, you'll taste if it's right or not straight away. 

This is a recipe that requires pastry, it assumes that you are using ready made or have pre-prepared the pastry yourself. Be flexible with the cooking time, you want to have it in the oven for at least 30 minutes for the flavours to blend, but watch that pastry, if the pastry looks like it's near done lower the heat and put on the middle or bottom shelf.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Warm the oil in a heavy bottom pan on a medium heat, gently add the steak and washed mushrooms and brown for about ten minutes. When the meat is brown add the leek, cook for a further five minutes then gradually introduce the stock and ale and add the horseradish, stir regularly. The mixture should not get to boiling point, we want the flavours to merge before the liquid reduces too much. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. When the meat has started to become tender and the liquid reduces by about half, pour the mixture into a pie dish, add the pie crush, brush the top of the crush with a little oil and decorate. Place the dish in a pre-heated over at about 190°C for about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown (no less than 30 minutes).
3. Remove from the oven and serve whilst piping hot with vegetables of choice. Works particularly well when supported by oysters as a starter.

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