Succulent Steak & Gravy Pie

This savory pie is extremely indulgent for us to eat on an every-day basis, so I save it for special meals.

This steak pie is full of tender, succulent steak, surrounded by a thick and flavorsome (flavorful) gravy, which is encased in a rich and buttery pastry (crust). It’s a true delight!

I base the steak and gravy filling on my beef stew recipe. I including the root vegetables whilst braising the meat – it adds a interesting and complex depth of flavor to the gravy. I save the vegetables as a side dish to eat with the pie or for a different meal.


SUCCULENT STEAK & GRAVY PIE
Serves 3-4

Ingredients
For the filling
2 t oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Pinch of cinnamon
2-3 bay leaves
900 g (2 lb) stewing steak
50 g (⅓ c) plain (all-purpose) flour
3 T tomato puree
2 t dark soy sauce
6 g (¾ t) better than bouillon* chicken stock paste
110 g (¼ lb) parsnips, top and tailed, peeled and chopped into chunks
110 g (¼ lb) carrots, top and tailed, peeled and chopped into chunks

For the pastry
225 g (1 ½ c) plain (all-purpose) flour
115 g (½ c) unsalted butter, cubed
1 t salt
1 egg, beaten, if required
Additional milk if required
For the glaze
Egg/milk

* Better than bouillon is a concentrated paste, which you add water to, to make a stock. If this is not available, use stock cubes or ready-made stock instead of water in step 2.

Method
1. In a large frying pan (skillet), heat the oil and fry the garlic and onion until browned. Add the beef and quickly brown.

2. Add the flour and stir well to coat. Add the stock paste/stock cubes, tomato puree, soy sauce, cinnamon and bay leaves and enough water/ready-made stock to cover the beef and form a nice gravy, stir.

3. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure no bits stick to the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the parsnips and carrots and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Fish out the parsnips and carrots and save for later consumption.

5. Place the steak and gravy into a bowl to cool (best left over night in the fridge).

6. Make the pastry by blitzing the flour and butter in a food processor, until lumps the size of large peas remain. Take the mix out of the food processor and press together. Add additional egg and/or milk if required to make the dough come together.

7. Press the uncooked pastry into a flat disc of 1 cm (1/4 inch) thickness, cover with cling-film (plastic wrap) and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

8. Roll the dough out on a floured wooden board to 3-5 mm (1/8th inch) and line a 20 cm (8-inch) pie dish with it, trim the edge with a knife.

9. Roll the rest of the dough back into a disc, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before re-rolling.

10. Fill the pie base by heaping in the steak and gravy - make sure you add all the steak pieces and a little of the gravy (don't add it all, or the pie will over flow).

11. Roll out the last piece of dough to cover the pie and place over the top. Seal the edges with the aid of an egg/milk mix and press down with a fork along the edges to make a good seal.

12. Poke two holes at the top for steam vents and decorate the pie as you wish.

13. Glaze with egg/milk before baking in the oven at 200C/400F for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbly. Enjoy!