Indiana Mini Steak And Ale Pie
I know what you are thinking, that Universally, Steak and Ale Pie is a British thing. So why in the world do we need an Indiana version of this classic dish?
The answer is simple. I love beef stew, and more importantly, I love Beef pot pies. If I am honest, growing up, I loved the .49 cent frozen pot pies from the freezer.
When I had my first apartment, I was 19 and worked for $5.25 an hour. I could barely make ends meet. I would only have $15 for groceries, which would have to last a week. Well, that’s where the humble frozen beef pot pie comes in.
I would stock the freezer with pot pies and frozen pizzas and pray for the best. I learned a lot about myself during that time in my life. I realized that I could depend on myself to get through the hard times, and that’s a good thing to know
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I still grab a pot pie from the freezer when the mood strikes me, but instead of a .49 cent pie, I grab my Indiana Steak and Ale Pie… it’s a little more refined but still hits the spot. Enjoy!
Indiana Steak and Ale Pie
Tender steak cooked with vegetables in a dark ale, and then wrapped in a flaky buttery crust.
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 1 lb lean chuck steak
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 shallot, whole
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups frozen stew vegetables
- 14 oz beef stock
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 8 oz good quality ale
- 1 teaspoon tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Salt and Pepper
Pastry Ingredients
- 18 oz flour
- 9 oz butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 oz milk
Instructions
To Make The Stew
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Cut the meat into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Season the flour with salt and pepper, and then brown each piece in vegetable oil. You may need to do this in small batches. When the beef is browned on all sides, transfer to a Dutch Oven.
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Once all the meat is cooked, add the onion to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add this to the cooking pan, together with the shallot.
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Then add the beef stock and the Guinness to the pan, together with the thyme, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, tomato puree, garlic, and frozen vegetables.
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Cover the Dutch Oven and cook in the oven at 300 degrees for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
To Make The Pastry
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While the stew is cooking, make the pastry. Mix the sugar, salt, and milk.
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In a food processor, mix the butter and flour.
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Add the eggs and the milk mixture until a smooth pastry is formed.
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The pastry should be easy to form into shapes. Put the pastry in the fridge for an hour.
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When the pastry has cooled, and the stew has cooked, you can start making the pies:
Assemble the Pies
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Remove pastry from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 3-4mm thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut round pastry pieces for the base and top that suit your muffin tin. The pastry of the bottom should extend beyond the edge so that you can crimp the top and bottom together properly.
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Place the pastry in the molds and fill with the stew using a spoon. Brush egg wash (whipped egg with a splash of water) around the edge of the base pastry and place the top pastry layer on top. The egg wash should act a bit like glue.
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Then crimp top to bottom pastry layers using a fork. Make sure you get a good crimp to prevent any leakage. Repeat for all the pies.
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rush the top with egg wash and place the molds in the oven at 350f for 40 minutes to cook the pies.