Traditional British Steak, Ale and Mushroom Pie

by John Peatey
(Nerja)

Steak, Ale and Mushroom Pie Ingredients:

First Filling
500g cubed beef steak
One diced onion
One 33cl can of lager or pale ale

Seasoning
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground, dried bay leaf
1½ tsp fresh parsley, (dried can be used as an alternative, cut amount by half.)
Two cloves of fine chopped or minced garlic
2tsp of Worcester sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
A drop or two of browning (optional)
Pinch of curry powder (optional)

Second Filling
300g peeled, cubed potatoes
100g quartered mushrooms
1tsp of flour
Water (if necessary to thin mixture)

Pie pastry.

Place the beef, onion and beer in a large saucepan and simmer over a low heat until the meat is tender, (at least 30 minutes.)
Add the garlic, thyme, parsley, bay, curry, Worcester sauce and salt/pepper along with the potatoes and mushrooms. Cover and simmer over a medium heat until the potatoes are just tender enough to pierce with a fork, about 10 – 15 minutes depending on variety. Whisk a small amount of the sauce in with the flour and then add to the main mixture. Simmer on a low heat until the filling starts to thicken. Very lightly coat a pie dish with lard or butter and gently lower a single sheet of pastry into it, so that the bottom and sides are covered. Spoon in the mixture and top with pastry. Crimp the edges together to seal, and cut slits in the topping to vent steam whilst baking. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 35 – 40 minutes by which time the pastry should be golden in colour.

John Peatey.