Beef, Stilton and ale pie
At this time of the year, when the nights are drawing in, it’s always comforting food that you seem to crave and for Queen Brie, nothing says comfort like a hearty pie.
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- Pie or casserole dish
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 700 g braising steak
- 300 g oxtail
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 2 brown onions thinly sliced
- 3 carrots peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
- 2 leeks thinly sliced into rounds
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 3 bay leaves
- Large sprig of thyme leaves stripped from the stem
- 60 g dried mushrooms soaked in boiling water to soften
- 50 g tomato purée
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Marmite
- 2 l beef or chicken stock
- 500 ml amber or dark ale
- 125 g Stilton I used Colston Bassett in this recipe
- 50 g butter
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Puff pastry sheet
- 1 beaten egg to glaze the pie
Instructions
- Add 3 tbsp olive oil to large heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium high heat. Add the braising steak and oxtail to the pan and turn occasionally until the meat is browned. Remove the meat and any juices from the pan and set aside while you cook the vegetables.
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the same pan and add the sliced onions, carrots, leeks and chestnut mushrooms. Sweat down for about 5 - 10 mins, or until the vegetables have softened, stirring regularly.
- Add the garlic cloves and 1 tsp of salt and cook for a further 2 minutes before adding the meat and juices back to the pan with the plain flour. Stir until the flour is combined and cook for a further two minutes to cook out the flour.
- Add the bay leaves, thyme leaves, dried mushrooms, tomato purée, mustard powder, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Marmite, stock, ale and a good grind of black pepper. Stir to make sure everything is combined.
- Cover with a lid and cook on a medium-low heat for at least four hours, or until the meat is falling off the bones and the sauce has reduced by half. Make sure you stir occasionally so that the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove the bay leaves and the oxtail bones, shred any of the meat from the bones and add the meat back to the pan.
- Crumble the blue cheese and add to the pan with the butter. Turn off the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas mark 6.
- Add the filling into a pie or casserole dish. Or you can divide the mixture into individual ramekins if you’re making mini pies.
- Brush the beaten egg around the edges of the dish. Unwrap your puff pastry sheet and drape over the the top of the dish, trimming off any excess pastry from around the edges. You can use any leftover pastry for decoration. Brush the top of the pie with the rest of the beaten egg and make a small hole in the middle of the pie to allow any steam to escape.
- Bake the pie in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is evenly golden brown. If you’re cooking individual pies you might want to give them slightly less time in the oven. Leave the pie to stand for a few minutes before you serve it. This would go great with creamy mash and some buttered winter greens.
Notes
I like to leave the filling in the fridge for a day or two before I make the pie, to allow the flavours to really develop. The filling can also be frozen for about 1-2 months.
You could put the pie filling into an oven-proof dish with a lid and cook in the oven at about 150C/130C Fan/Gas mark 2 for about 3-4 hours, Make sure to keep an eye on it and stir occasionally so the mixture doesn't become too dry. I prefer to cook it on the stove top as I can control the heat and keep an eye on the mixture more easily.