Steak & Potato Pie

 
Steak & Potato Pie. I put my hand up now. I have a great love for savory pies. Well, I love any kind of pie, really, but I do so love a good meat pie.
With a flaky, buttery crust, rich gravy and meat filling, I don't think there is anything much more delicious on earth.  It is a love I share with the rest of my family.
 
We are all nuts for pies, especially savory ones. They are something we grew up on. My mother made the best meat pies.  Every time she cooked a roast dinner we all got excited because we knew she would be making a meat pie with the leftovers.
There were beef pies, and chicken pies and turkey pies.  All filled with leftover cooked meat, leftover gravy, potatoes and vegetables. We loved them, probably more than the initial meal.
But come on now, Pie  . . .  who doesn't love pie! 

At Christmas she would make the family's favorite Tourtiere.  We still make them, even though mom has been gone a number of years now. It would not be Christmas without them.
On rare occasions mom would make my father's favorite, French Canadian Salmon Pie. Oh, how I loved those salmon pies with their flaky pastry and salmon, onion and potato filling. I have not made one in a while now. Time to rectify that and bake one methinks!
 
But not today. Today we are enjoying a beautiful rich Steak & Potato Pie.  Tender pieces of beef steak, and potato in a rich thick gravy, all encased in two buttery flaky crusts.  So delicious!
You could of course use puff pastry for this, but I prefer to use my regular Butter and Lard Pastry. It is so tender and flaky and goes very well with meat fillings.  It's a great all-round pastry actually, and my pastry of preference for any kind of pie.
 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE STEAK & POTATO PIE
Pretty simple ingredients. This is quite similar to a British pie except that it has two crusts and it's a bit spicier.  It looks like a long list, but most of it is seasonings.

• 2 1/2 pounds (a generous kilogram) sirloin steak, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup (41g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 TBS light olive oil
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 cups (480ml) beef stock
• 2 TBS HP sauce
• 3 TBS tomato ketchup
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp summer savory (can use marjoram)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• enough butter/lard pastry for a two-crust pie

 
You shouldn't need any other seasonings for this. I never have to add any extra salt or pepper. It's just right. Not too spicy and just salty enough.
For beef stock, I use the type that comes in a small container that you reconstitute with water.  You can also use stock cubes.  Just be careful as some of them can be quite salty, so don't add any salt until you have tasted it.
You can leave the ketchup out if you want to, but we rather like it. HP sauce can be substituted with any kind of steak sauce you prefer.  In the UK, they call it brown sauce, and it goes very well with savory, meaty things.
 


HOW TO MAKE STEAK & POTATO PIE
It's really quite easy. I like to make the filling the day before and then chill it overnight so that it is good and cold when I put it into the pastry. If you also make the pastry ahead of time, this makes for a very quick entree.  

Place the flour into a bowl along with the garlic salt, pepper, paprika and cumin. Add the cubes of steak and toss them in the flour to coat them.Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Once the butter begins to foam start adding the meat cubes. Cook over medium high heat until browned. Remove as it browns and add more. (Don't crowd the pan, work in batches as required.) (Reserve the leftover flour mixture.)Return all the meat to the pan, along with any juices. Sprinkle any remaining flour over top.Add the beef stock, ketchup, HP sauce, onions, thyme, summer savory and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to the boil, stirring, then reduce to medium low. Cover tightly and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. (Check periodically to give it a stir and make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you think it to be too thick, add a bit more hot stock.)

 
Add the potatoes. Cover and simmer for a further half an hour, until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Remove and discard the bay leaf. (This can be done the day ahead, in which case you can put the filling into a covered container and chill in the refrigerator.)

To prepare the pie. Roll out enough pastry for the bottom crust and use to fill a 9-inch round deep pie dish. Spoon the filling into the pastry. Roll out the remaining pastry to make a round large enough to cover the filling. Place over top.Seal, trim, and crimp the edges of the pastry. Cut some steam vents in top of the pie. Place onto a baking sheet,Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to one hour, until golden brown and the filling is bubbling.Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.

 
I don't think anyone can ever accuse me of perfect presentation. What you see is what you get and you can always be sure that its a realistic presentation of what I have cooked.  Plain and simple, just like me.  
Always delicious. Or at least I think so.  I hope you do too! 

 
Some other savory pies in The English Kitchen which you might enjoy are:
CORNED BEEF AND POTATO PIE - This is a real favorite with a lovely hearty filling made from tinned corned beef, onions and boiled potato. It's really very delicious! (And very British!)
CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM PIE - A hearty filling of chicken and mushrooms in a delicious ale gravy, tucked beneath the thatch of a puff pastry lid.  This is also a real favorite with us, and again, very British.
  Yield: 8Author: Marie RaynerPrintWith ImageWithout Image

Steak & Potato Pie

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 2 H & 10 MInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 2 H & 35 MTender chunks of beef and cubes of potato in a rich gravy sandwiched between two buttery crusts. It doesn't get much better than this. If you are on your own, why not make individual pies and freeze them! Cook time does not reflect chilling the filling overnight.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds (a generous kilogram) sirloin steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/3 cup (41g) plain all purpose flour
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 TBS light olive oil
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 cups (480ml) beef stock
• 2 TBS HP sauce
• 3 TBS tomato ketchup
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp summer savory (can use marjoram)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• enough butter/lard pastry for a two-crust pie

Instructions

1. Place the flour into a bowl along with the garlic salt, pepper, paprika and cumin. Add the cubes of steak and toss them in the flour to coat them.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Once the butter begins to foam start adding the meat cubes. Cook over medium high heat until browned. Remove as it browns and add more. (Don't crowd the pan, work in batches as required.) (Reserve the leftover flour mixture.)
3. Return all the meat to the pan, along with any juices. Sprinkle any remaining flour over top.
4. Add the beef stock, ketchup, HP sauce, onions, thyme, summer savory and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to the boil, stirring, then reduce to medium low. Cover tightly and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. (Check periodically to give it a stir and make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you think it to be too thick, add a bit more hot stock.)
5. Add the potatoes. Cover and simmer for a further half an hour, until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Remove and discard the bay leaf. (This can be done the day ahead, in which case you can put the filling into a covered container and chill in the refrigerator.)
6. To prepare the pie. Roll out enough pastry for the bottom crust and use to fill a 9-inch round deep pie dish. Spoon the filling into the pastry. Roll out the remaining pastry to make a round large enough to cover the filling. Place over top.
7. Seal, trim, and crimp the edges of the pastry. Cut some steam vents in top of the pie. Place onto a baking sheet,
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to one hour, until golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
9. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.

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