Old-Fashioned Aussie Steak Pie
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
This old-fashioned Aussie steak pie is classic comfort food, with tender slow-cooked beef in a rich gravy topped with golden, flaky pastry. Simple, hearty and full of flavour, it’s the kind of pie I grew up eating.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 kg stewing beef, such as chuck, gravy beef, braising steak or oyster blade, cut into 3–4 cm pieces
- ¼ cup plain flour, for coating
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2-3 tbsp beef tallow, olive oil, or your choice of fat, for browning the meat
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 900 ml beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- few drops Parisienne Essence, optional (just for a darker colour)
Cornflour slurry:
- 3 tbsp cornflour mixed with 3 tablespoons of cold water
To assemble:
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp milk, for glazing
Instructions
Prepare the meat filling:
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional / 350°F.
- Combine the flour, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Add the beef and toss until well coated.
- Heat the fat in a large frying pan over medium heat. Brown the beef in batches, leaving it undisturbed for a couple of minutes before turning so it develops a good colour. Transfer each batch to a casserole dish, adding a little more fat to the pan as needed.
- Add the onions to the same pan and cook for a few minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom over a medium-low heat.
- Pour in the beef stock and bring to the boil, stirring well to deglaze the pan. Add the bay leaf, then pour everything over the beef in the casserole dish.
- Cover and cook for 1½ hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Remove the bay leaf and gently stir the filling. Stir the cornflour slurry, then gradually add it to the filling, stirring gently until the gravy is thick enough for a pie. You may not need all of the slurry, or you may need a little more, depending on how much the gravy has reduced. If necessary, mix a little extra cornflour with an equal amount of cold water.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add a few drops of Parisienne Essence if you would like a darker gravy.
- Transfer the filling to a bowl and leave to cool to room temperature before assembling the pie. Alternatively, refrigerate the filling if making it ahead.
Assemble the pie:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional / 430°F.
- Cut strips from one sheet of puff pastry and press them around the rim of the pie dish, using a little water to help them stick.
- Spoon the cooled beef filling into the dish. If using a pie funnel, place it in the centre of the filling to support the pastry lid.
- Lightly brush the pastry rim with water. Lay the second sheet of puff pastry over the pie and press the edges firmly to seal. Trim away any excess pastry and crimp the edge. Use the trimmings to decorate the top if you like.
- Brush the pastry with the egg and milk mixture and cut a couple of small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake the pie
- Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 170°C fan / 190°C conventional / 375°F and bake for a further 20–25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Pastry: I use gluten-free puff pastry in the video because that’s what I need to use, but regular puff pastry is easier to work with and will give you a lighter, flakier finish.
- Pie funnel: A pie funnel can help support the pastry lid, but it isn't essential.
- Make ahead: The beef filling can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight. Let it cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
- Serving: Lovely served with mashed potato, green peas and, if you like, a little tomato sauce.
- Leftovers: Any leftover beef filling is delicious in a toasted sandwich. 🥪
- Steak and kidney: If you like kidneys, skin and chop 2 kidneys into small pieces, coat them in the seasoned flour and brown them with the beef.