Chunky steak meat pie

Makes two pies with some gravy left over.

Ingredients

  • 400 g beef chuck or gravy beef, trimmed & cut into 1.5 cm cubes
  • 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ carrot, finely diced
  • ½ stick celery, finely diced (optional)
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • ½ cup beef stock
  • ½ cup stout or red wine (or extra stock)
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp dried thyme (or small sprig fresh)
  • Salt & black pepper, to taste

Pastry & finish

  • 1 sheet frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed (for bases)
  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (for lids)
  • 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp milk (egg wash)

Method

  1. Brown the beef
    • Toss beef cubes with flour, salt, and pepper.
    • Heat oil in a saucepan, brown beef in batches until well caramelised. Remove and set aside.
  2. Cook aromatics
    • In the same pan, cook onion, garlic, carrot, and celery until softened (5 minutes).
    • Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
  3. Build the sauce
    • Deglaze with stout/wine, scraping up brown bits.
    • Return beef to the pan with stock, Worcestershire, bay leaf, and thyme.
    • Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently 1.5–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender and sauce thickened.
  4. Cool filling
    • Remove bay leaf. Let filling cool completely (prevents soggy pastry).
  5. Assemble pies
    • Preheat oven to 200 °C (fan 180 °C).
    • Line 2 small pie dishes with shortcrust pastry.
    • Fill with beef mixture.
    • Top with puff pastry lids, seal edges, crimp with a fork, and cut a steam slit.
    • Brush with egg wash.
  6. Bake
    • Bake 25–30 minutes until golden and puffed.
    • Rest 5 minutes before serving.
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