Description
This Family Meat Pie recipe features tender chunks of chuck beef slow-cooked with bacon, mushrooms, and vegetables in a rich Guinness and beef stock sauce. The filling is encased in a crisp homemade shortcrust base topped with flaky puff pastry, baked until golden and served with classic Aussie tomato sauce. Perfect for a comforting family meal with deep, hearty flavors and a perfectly tender filling.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef:
- 800g (1.6lb) chuck beef, cut into 3.5cm (1.4″) cubes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil (plus more as needed)
Filling:
- 30g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 200g (7 oz) mushrooms, smallish, halved or quartered
- 125g (4 oz) streaky bacon, cut into 1 x 1.5cm (0.4 x 0.6″) cubes
- 1 onion, cut into 2cm (0.8″) cubes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 celery stalk, sliced 1cm (0.4″) thick (split wide end lengthwise if large)
- 1 carrot, halved and sliced 1cm (0.4″) thick (quarter thick end if needed)
- 330ml (11 oz) Guinness stout
- 2 cups beef stock (preferably low sodium, homemade or store-bought)
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp coarsely crushed black pepper (plus more as desired)
Beurre Manié:
- 4 tbsp flour
- 60g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
Pastry:
- 1 quantity shortcrust pastry (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 sheet puff pastry (for lid)
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
Serving:
- Ketchup or Aussie Tomato Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C fan to prepare for slow cooking the filling.
- Brown Beef: Season the beef cubes with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-based pot over high heat. Brown the beef in batches without overcrowding to ensure a good sear, then transfer browned beef to a large bowl.
- Wipe Pot Clean: Remove any burnt bits by wiping the pot clean to ensure no burnt flavors affect the filling.
- Cook Bacon: Add bacon to the pot and heat over medium until fat starts to render, then increase to medium-high and cook until golden. Remove bacon and add to the bowl with beef.
- Cook Mushrooms: Melt 30g butter in the pot. Cook mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon to a separate bowl.
- Cook Vegetables: Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery to the pot. Cook on medium for 5 minutes until onions are soft and sweet, without browning too much. Add oil if necessary.
- Slow Cook in Oven: Return beef and bacon to the pot. Add Guinness, water, beef stock, 1/4 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp crushed black pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover with lid and transfer pot to the oven. Cook for 1 hour.
- Add Mushrooms and Continue Cooking: Stir in the cooked mushrooms and return pot to oven for a further 1 hour until meat is tender but still holds shape.
- Reduce Sauce on Stove: Remove pot from oven, take off the lid, and simmer gently on low heat for 20 minutes to reduce the sauce to a thick consistency.
- Prepare Beurre Manié: Mix softened butter and flour together until smooth to make the sauce thickener.
- Thicken Sauce: Stir the Beurre Manié into the sauce on low heat and cook for an additional 2 minutes until sauce has a honey-like consistency. Adjust thickness carefully as it won’t thicken further in the oven.
- Cool Filling: Cover pot and allow filling to cool completely, ideally overnight, to develop flavor and set the filling.
- Prepare Pie Base: Blind bake the shortcrust pastry in a 23cm (9”) pie dish according to your recipe or package instructions. Let it cool for at least 15 minutes to maintain a crisp base.
- Assemble Pie: Bring the filling to room temperature (do not refrigerate cold). Fill the pie base evenly or slightly mounded with the filling.
- Top with Puff Pastry: Partially thaw puff pastry sheet (do not cut). Brush the lip of the pie base with egg wash. Lay puff pastry over the filling, trim excess, press edges to seal, and crimp with a fork for decoration and adhesion.
- Finish with Egg Wash and Vent: Brush the puff pastry lid with remaining egg wash. Cut a 2.5cm (1″) X-shaped incision in the center to allow steam to escape and prevent doming.
- Bake Pie: Increase oven temperature to 200°C (390°F) or 180°C fan. Bake the pie for 45-50 minutes until the top is deeply golden and crisp.
- Rest and Serve: Let the pie rest 5 minutes after baking. Serve warm with ketchup or Aussie tomato sauce and enjoy the rich, flavorful family pie.
Notes
- For best flavor and texture, use a heavy-based pot that can go into the oven.
- Do not overcrowd the pot when browning beef to ensure proper caramelization.
- Cooling the filling overnight allows flavors to meld and the filling to thicken nicely.
- Bring filling to room temperature before assembling to avoid soggy pastry.
- Blind baking the shortcrust base prevents a soggy bottom crust.
- Use low sodium beef stock to control the salt level in the pie.
- The more liquid in the filling is absorbed by the pastry but does not cause sogginess if the filling is the correct consistency.
- The beurre manié requires thorough mixing to avoid lumps when thickening the sauce.
- The steam vent prevents the puff pastry lid from puffing excessively, ensuring an even bake.
- Leftover pie can be refrigerated and reheated; best eaten within 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/6 pie)
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
