Steak pie help

[sherrardk]

I a looking to make a steak pie that everyone will eat but I have some questions. Do I have to cook the steak thoroughly before I put the pastry on? Is it sufficient to make a sort of steak and thick(ish) gravy (they won't eat mushrooms and I don't want to use any booze). And what sort of pastry would be best - I was thinking puff pastry? Thanks for any help (if it's not nice then they won't eat it and they will be hungry).

[DTCwordfan]

the ale they probably wouldn't even notice, sherrard as the booze cooks off. Have you thought about a steak and veg pie:

750 g (1.5lb) chuck steak (diced)
2 carrots
1 onion skinned and sliced
1 parnsip
250 g (8oz) pkt frozen puff pastry
2 level Tbs flour
400 ml (¾ pt) beef stock
seasoning
beaten egg to glaze

Method

Coat meat with seasoned flour, put into large saucepan with onion, carrots, parsnip and stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1½- 2 hours until meat is tender. Season to taste.
Alternatively put everything into a slow cooker on low for at least 8 hours, check meat is tender after this time.
Once cooked, leave to cool. Roll out pastry to about eighth of an inch line 2pt pie dish (or flan dish) bottom and sides.
Strain the meat etc saving the liquid and put into pie base, add some of your saved liquid, don't make it too sloppy though. (Save
rest of juices for further stock or put in as gravy for another meal.)
Roll out the rest of the pastry, not too thick again and cover your filling. Seal together top and sides by dampening pastry with a little water on the join. Knock up edges.
Brush top of pie with beaten egg. Make fork holes across top of pie cover.
Cook in oven, middle shelf on 220°C/Gas mark 7 for approx 20 minutes or until pastry is golden in colour.

Serve with vegetables such as broccolli, cauliflower, peas or cabbage and boiled or mash potatoes.

[vodkancoke]

DT's is the same as mine except I start it on the hob and put it in the oven for ages and leave it.

[DTCwordfan]

so how long, voddie, as mine is 8 hours!?

[vodkancoke]

I put mine in a low oven for up to 6 hours. I don't use a slow-cooker.

[sherrardk]

8 hours! Sod that for a laugh. This is meant to be a simple school night tea with some veggies, definitely need a re-think (not putting that much effort in when it's going to get covered in tomato sauce).

[vodkancoke]

Sherr you can make it up to the covering in pastry bit, then freeze it for another night.

[pastafreak]

8 hours does not mean constant cooking over a hot stove...just an occasional poke with a spoon to give it a stir. Really minimal effort.

[DTCwordfan]

exactly, you just let it nurdle, sherrard, the beauty of the dish - and the aroma filling the house, enticing those little flavour buds....

[sherrardk]

Might give it a go when I am really bored - got no problem with stirring something every now and then, but it just seems to be a bit of commitment for one meal that they might turn their noses up at.

[sherrardk]

PS - I won't actually be eating it myself.

[fairycakes69]

Oh yes Vodka your missing out, it was only when I moved to the east coast I found out that you could have steak pie without sausages, ordered one for Hogmanay from the local butcher, went back and asked where the sausages were, he looked very confused.

[vodkancoke]

I remember it being mentioned in an episode of Still Game but we never did it and our local butcher never did it. It could be a Glasgow thing. My family are from the west of Glasgow. I will maybe give it a go though.

[friedgreentomato]

Sausages in steak pie? My mother would turn in her grave mind she was from cruden bay and would never put sausages in her steak pie!

[tamborine]

I use left over roast beef & veg with puff pastry. Add extra Bisto as necessary.

[Smowball]

You cant beat a home made pie - lovely!

[vodkancoke]

Sherr, James Martin made a beef stew on Saturday Kitchen Best Bites which is shown on a Sunday. You can get it on iplayer or catch-up if you want to see it done.

[venator]

The best steak is known to butchers as "skirt" - you don't see much because it gous into the pies.

It comes in big flat pieces with a pronounced grain, and virtually without fat.

Costco do it - I think they call it "flank"

It's perfect for long cooking, makes wonderful gravy.

If sliced very thin across the grain, you can flash fry it for stir fries.

[Cathyhuns]

When I was first married, my husband insisted that his mother made meat pie without cooking the meat first, ie just put the meat in the pie dish and covered it with pastry. He refused to check with her first and made me cook a pie just like this. It was the most inedible thing I have ever tried to eat. The meat was hardly chewable, the gravy was thin and the pastry was overcooked.

I've never let him forget it whenever he tries to tell me how to cook things.

[nungate]

I make steak pie a lot, Sherrard, here's what I do.
1lb stewing steak
1 onion
This is where it gets technical
A splodge of tomato puree, couple of oxo cubes (other stock cubes are available) tablespoon or so of cornflour mixed with some cold water
Brown the meat, add the onion, the splodge of puree and the stock cubes then add some boiling water. Stew on the hob for approximately 1hour and 20 minutes. Now here in Scotland it is a sort of tradition to add some sausages - so at this point I take about six skinless sausages and halve them then add to the simmering meat and cook through for about 20 minutes. Thicken the sauce with the cornflour and allow it to "cook out" before tipping the whole lot into your pie dish.
I always use puff pastry - you can buy some really good pastry these days so I don't make my own any more. I roll it out to cover the top of the pie dish but first I cut a couple of thin strips to stick onto the lip of the pie dish then moisten with a bit of milk or an egg and stick the pastry lid on top. Knock up the edges to make the seal, and make a wee hole in the top for the steam to escape brush with milk or egg wash and bung it in the oven at 190 for 30 - 45 minutes until the pastry has risen and is golden. Serve.
Sorry if this is a bit vague but it's the way I tend to cook, thankfully my daughter has been able to "follow" my method and can do a passable copy of my version (truth be told though best beloved prefers mine to hers)
Good luck.

[JonnyBoy12]

Why did the vampire not want to go to the restaurant?

Because he heard they had big steaks there!