The Classic Beef Steak Pie
Savour the timeless taste of classic beef steak pies! Crafted with tender, slow-cooked beef, rich gravy, and buttery, flaky crust, our traditional pies are perfect for comfort-filled meals. Affordable, satisfying, and bursting with flavour
The Classic Beef Steak Pie
Ingredients
Short Crust Pastry
- 250 g Plain Flour All Purpose
- 140 g Unsalted Butter Diced & Chilled
- 37.5 ml Sparkling or Still Water Ice Cold
- Salt To Taste
Beef Gravy
- 30 ml Olive Oil
- 1 kg Beef Chuck Steak Diced
- 1 Brown (Yellow) Onion Diced
- 1 Carrot Diced
- 1 rib Celery Diced
- 6 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 28 g Plain Flour All Purpose
- 2 Beef Stock Cubes Crushed
- 48 g Concentrated Tomato Paste
- 250 ml Beef Stock
- 500 ml Dry Red Wine
- 10 ml Worcestershire Sauce
- 5 Dried Bay Leaves Bouquet Garni
- 6 sprigs Sprigs Thyme Bouquet Garni
- 3 g Flat Leaf Parsley Bouquet Garni
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Pie Topping
- 4 Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets Thawed
- 2 Egg Yolk
- Sea Salt Flakes
- Cracked Black Pepper
Method
Short Crust Pastry
- Add the flour and cold butter to a food processor and blitz on high speed until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. While running, slowly pour in the sparkling or regular water until the pastry comes together, adding more if needed. Remove from the processor and knead into a smooth ball. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Roll out the pastry and cut rounds about an inch bigger than the circumference of your pie tins — 8 rounds for small tins (~10cm/4in), 6 for medium (~12cm/5in), or 4 for large (~15cm/6in). Line the tins with the pastry and mould to shape.
- Cut parchment paper to size, one sheet per pie, and fill with rice or blind-baking balls. Blind bake for 14–16 minutes (small), 18–20 minutes (medium), or 22–25 minutes (large), until the outside of the pastry is golden. Remove the weights and parchment, and return to the oven for a further 3–4 minutes (small), 4–6 minutes (medium), or 6–8 minutes (large), until the base is golden. Set aside.
Pie Filling & Top
- Pat the beef chuck as dry as possible and place in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place a pot over high heat and add half of the olive oil. Sear half of the beef for 5–6 minutes, until deeply browned. Remove and repeat with the remaining batches, then remove all the beef from the pot.
- In the same pot over medium-high heat, add the onion, celery, carrot, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables, cooking for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Gradually pour in the beef stock, mixing well to prevent lumps.
- Add the tomato paste, beef stock cubes, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and bouquet garni. Season well with salt and pepper, mix, and bring to a boil.
- Add the beef and any resting juices, mix well, and bring back to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 2 hours. Remove the lid and discard the bouquet garni. Check the seasoning and simmer for a further 20 minutes, or until the beef is falling apart. Remove from the heat and let cool — this is best done overnight, or in about 4 hours in the fridge until lukewarm.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the cooled beef mix into the blind-baked pastry shells to assemble the pies. Cut the puff pastry slightly larger than the pie moulds. Brush the edges of each pie mould with the beaten egg and place on the puff pastry lids. Brush the tops with the remaining egg and score if desired. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes (small pies), 25–28 minutes (medium pies), or 30–35 minutes (large pies), until golden brown — if making large pies and the pastry browns faster than the centre heats through, loosely tent with foil for the last 10 minutes. Remove and let cool for 15–20 minutes before serving.
Chef's Tips
Sear the beef in batches without crowding the pot — crowding drops the pot's temperature and steams the meat instead of browning it, and that deep colour is where most of the filling's flavour comes from.Cool the filling properly before assembling the pies, ideally overnight — hot filling under a puff pastry lid will melt the butter in the pastry before it hits the oven, and you'll lose the flaky rise.If making large pies, watch the pastry in the last 10 minutes and tent with foil if it's browning faster than the centre is heating through — this is the size most likely to need it.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate baked pies for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months, in an airtight container. The unbaked, cooled filling on its own also freezes well for up to 3 months if you'd rather assemble and bake fresh later.To reheat, warm in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15–20 minutes, until piping hot through the centre — a microwave will make the pastry soggy rather than crisp. Thaw frozen pies in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Serving 1PieCalories 942kcalCarbohydrates 55gProtein 46gFat 47gSaturated Fat 16gPolyunsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 180mgSodium 1058mgPotassium 766mgFiber 5gSugar 8gVitamin A 2233IUVitamin C 6mgCalcium 14mgIron 9mg
The above nutrition guide is based on daily averages and is calculated for a single portion.
Recipe Notes
Classic Beef Steak Pie Storage Instructions
Fresh Pies:
Store in the refrigerator at or below 4°C (40°F).
Consume within 2-3 days.
Frozen Pies:
Keep in the freezer at -18°C (0°F) or below.
Best consumed within 2-3 months for optimal taste and quality.
Classic Beef Steak Pie Reheating Instructions
From Refrigerated: Preheat oven or air fryer to 180°C (350°F) and heat for 20-25 minutes in an oven and 16-18 minutes in an air fryer.
From Frozen: Preheat oven or air fryer to 180°C (350°F) and heat for 30-35 minutes in an oven and 25-30 minutes in an air fryer.
Ensure the pie is piping hot before serving (internal temperature of at least 75°C/165°F).
Tip: Do not refreeze once thawed.
Watch How To Make The Recipe
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I’m going to make this on friday with my son.
Would you recommend going full aussie/kiwi, and serve with mashed potatoes, gravy and peas?
P.S. We’re huge fans of your meal prep series.
Sorry for the late reply! I hope you enjoyed it. Yes definitely go with the mash, gravy and peas.