A mocktail trio
Our signature steak and ale pie
Beer isn't just for drinking. This hearty and flavoursome pie, enriched with ale, is a delicious treat for a rainy day that you can easily turn out to perfection in your own kitchen at home using our chef’s signature recipe.
6 min
06 Aug 2021
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 red onion, peeled, halved and finely sliced
- 200g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
- 400g braising steak (2cm pieces trimmed of fat)
- 1 tbsp plain flour, seasoned
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- 300ml Cunard Black (Dark Revolution), or other stout
- 1 sprig of rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
For the pastry
- 250g self-raising flour
- 125g shredded beef suet
- 150ml ice water
- ½ tsp salt
Method
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions and mushrooms until golden, then remove. Toss the steak in the seasoned flour and fry until browned (you might need a drop more oil). Add the onions and mushrooms back to the pan along with the tomato purée, Cunard Black Stout and rosemary, stirring them together thoroughly. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 1.5 hours before leaving to cool.
- To make the pastry, put the flour, suet, salt and a good grind of pepper in a bowl. Gradually mix in the water with a dinner knife until it makes a dough.
- Bring together into a ball, wrap in cling-film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Roll the pastry out to a circle about 1cm thick and cut a quarter out of the circle and keep for the top. Use the rest of the pastry to line a well-buttered individual or family-sized pudding basin, crimping the ends together.- Fill the basin with the steak mix, then re-roll the leftover pastry to make a lid. Crimp the edges to seal.
- Lay a sheet of buttered baking paper on top of a sheet of foil, fold a pleat in the middle and smooth down to sharpen the pleat.
- Put the double sheet on top of the pudding baking paper-side down, and mould to the top of the basin with your hands. If you're using a pan, wrap string under the rim of the basin and tie a handle to make it easier to remove.
- Trim any excess foil then put in a steamer or on an upturned saucer in a large pan and pour boiling water to halfway up the sides of the bowl. Steam for 1.5 hours keeping an eye on the water level. To serve, unwrap then carefully turn out onto a serving plate.
- Pour a glass of your favourite beer to accompany your meal. Enjoy!
