Savory Beef Ale-Free Pie (Printable)

Tender beef and veggies in rich gravy, wrapped in flaky pastry. A comforting, hearty dish for family dinners.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 tbsp olive oil
02 - 1.75 lb beef chuck or stewing steak, cut into 0.8-inch cubes
03 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 2 tbsp plain flour
09 - 1 2/3 cups beef stock
10 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 tsp dried rosemary
13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Pastry

15 - 13 oz ready-rolled shortcrust pastry (or homemade)
16 - 1 egg, beaten (for glaze)

# How to Make It:

01 - Set the oven temperature to 350°F.
02 - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, then transfer to a plate.
03 - Add the remaining olive oil; cook onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until softened.
04 - Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and flour, cooking for 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
05 - Gradually pour in beef stock, scraping browned bits from the pan. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and return beef. Season with salt and pepper.
06 - Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender and gravy thickens. Remove bay leaves and cool filling.
07 - Spoon the filling into a 1.5-quart pie dish.
08 - Roll pastry to fit the dish top. Cover filling, trim excess, seal edges by crimping, and cut a small steam vent in the center.
09 - Brush the pastry with beaten egg and bake for 30–35 minutes until golden and crisp.
10 - Allow pie to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pastry gets impossibly golden and crisp while the filling stays tender and deeply savory.
  • It feels fancy enough for guests but honest enough for a quiet weeknight dinner.
  • Most of the work happens in one pan, and the pie actually improves if you make it ahead and reheat it.
02 -
  • Cooling the filling before adding the pastry is non-negotiable; hot filling will make the pastry soggy and won't cook through properly.
  • Don't skip browning the beef—that crust is where the flavor lives, and it's worth the extra 10 minutes.
  • If your gravy feels too thin after simmering, mix a spoon of flour with a little cold water and stir it in during the last few minutes; it'll thicken beautifully.
03 -
  • Make the filling a day ahead; the flavors actually deepen overnight, and you'll have less stress on the day you want to serve it.
  • If the pastry top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking—it'll finish cooking without burning.

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