Steak pie is one of the cosiest dinners to make when it is dark and dreary outside, and in Scotland it is traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day as part of the Hogmanay celebrations. What is fantastic about steak pie is that it is a very simple recipe according to Sarah Rossi, a cook and founder of Taming Twins, who shared she likes to cook it as a midweek dinner. Sarah said: This recipe is filled with meltingly soft and tender beef, rich tasty gravy and topped with crunchy puff pastry. Even better, it’s super easy to make (easy, not quick, but hardly any ‘hands on’ cooking time, so let’s forgive it OK?)”
You only need a few ingredients for steak pie, most of which are likely already in your kitchen, but the key to making it really taste is to make sure you do not use extra virgin olive oil. Most of us simply reach for any oil we have in the cupboard when cooking, but you should never use extra virgin olive oil when cooking beef, as it makes it very easy to burn.
Extra virgin olive oil has a very low smoke point, meaning it cannot withstand the high temperature needed to brown meat and will begin to break down instead.
This can result in the beef coming out of the pan charred and bitter, and using the wrong oil is one of the easiest mistakes to make when preparing a steak pie for the first time.
Instead, make sure to use an oil with a higher smoke point, such as sunflower oil, but even just regular olive oil is ten times better for cooking beef in.
Sarah said: “Any oil other than extra virgin is fine. Olive oil or sunflower oil are perfect.”
How to make a homemade steak pie
You will need:
700g of stewing beef600ml of beef stock (made from a cube is fine)One tablespoon of sunflower oilTwo onions (peeled and chopped)Four carrots (peeled and chopped)50g of plain flourTwo tablespoons of tomato puréeTwo tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce320g of puff pastry sheetOne beaten egg
Method:
To begin, place the oil in a large frying pan, heat it up, and once the oil is sizzling, add the beef.
Cook the beef for five to 10 minutes until the meat begins to turn brown. Next, add the carrots and onion pieces and cook for five minutes until they start to soften.
Add the flour and cook for five minutes to stir it through all the ingredients. After the time is up, add the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock and then season with salt and pepper.
Put a lid on the frying pan, place it on a low heat and let the beef cook for two hours until it is completely tender. Stir the pan occasionally during this time, and if it looks dry, then add a little more stock to the pan.
After two hours, spoon the beef filling into a pie dish and let it cool for 30 minutes, if time allows. Steam from the hot beef can make the pastry soggy, and letting the beef sit after cooking lets it absorb more of the juices, so it is much more flavourful
Then, place the pastry over the top of the pie dish, and then beat an egg in a small bowl to brush all over the pastry.
Preheat the oven to 220°C, and let the steak pie cook for 30 minutes until it has a perfect golden brown crust. Once it comes out of the oven, the beef will melt in your mouth, and the gravy should be full of flavour when you cut into it.
