Everett’s Steak & Ale Pie (With Granny Tia’s Mandatory Veggies)

Ingredients

• 8-quart/8L pot

• 2 premade deep-dish savoury pie shells

• 2.2lbs/1Kg beef chuck or shoulder roast, 1.5in/4cm cubed

• 1 large onion, diced

• 16oz/473mL dark ale

• 2 large carrots, 1.5in/4cm diced

• A variety of root vegetables: I used: 3 medium potatoes, 1.5in/4cm diced1 medium sweet potato (I use a 3:1 ratio regular potato to sweet potato, so the pie isn’t too sweet), 1.5in/4cm diced2 small turnips, 1.5in/4cm diced

• 1½ cups/375g dried rice/dried beans/baking weights for blind baking, weight per pie

• ½ tsp rosemary

• ½ tsp thyme

• 1 ½ tsps fresh parsley

• Salt & pepper to taste

• 2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce 

• 2 tbsps all-purpose flour

• 3 cloves of garlic, grated

• 1 packet of beef bouillon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400℉/200℃. Use a fork to make tiny pinpricks all over the bottom of the pie shell (not big enough to see). This will help vent steam so the bottom doesn’t puff up. Cover the top of the crust with 1-2 sheets of tin foil and fill with 1 ½ cups/375g of uncooked dry rice or beans if you don’t have baking weights. Do this to one of the two premade pie shells. Keep the other pie shell unbaked so we can use it as the pie's top. Bake for 10-15 minutes just to help firm up the bottom of the pie shell.
   

2. Cut the roast into 1.5 in/4 cm cubes. Cook on low for at least 30 minutes with the onion and ale, until the meat begins to brown.
   

3. Raise the temperature to medium. Add the diced root vegetables. Make sure the root vegetables are uniform in size and shape, so they cook at the same rate. Cut your vegetables into a rectangle or a square by trimming off any uneven areas. Use this even rectangle or square to cut even-sized pieces from.  Add the rosemary, thyme, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, garlic & beef bouillon. Cook for about 15 minutes until they are just soft enough to poke with a fork (not mushy).
   

4. Pour 2 tbsps of the beef & ale stock into a separate small bowl. Mix with 2 tbsps of four to make a slurry. Mix this back into the main pot. If you find the sauce is still too thin, you can add more flour. It is ready when it can stick to the back of a metal spoon.
   

5. With the tinfoil & weights removed, begin to fill the pre-baked pie shell. Focus on filling the meat and vegetables, then pour in the sauce afterwards.
   

6. Take the unbaked pie shell, while still in the tin, and flip it on top of the filled pie to make the top. With the tin shiny side up, crimp the edges of the two pie crusts together between the two pie plates.
   

7. Carefully remove the top pie plate. Gently cut 4-1in/2 ½ cm slits in the center of the top pie crust. This will help the steam vent. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 400℉/200℃ for 30-40 minutes. You can add time if needed.

Ready in 90-120 minutes

Serves 8 people

Tips

If you don’t have Worcestershire sauce, you can use 1 tbsp malt or white vinegar, 1 tbsp brown sugar & 1 tbsp beef concentrate, or 1 beef bouillon cube, or 1 flavour packet from instant ramen noodles.