Beef Pie with Puff Pastry
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Beef pie with puff pastry gives you four individual beef pies with shortcrust pastry around the base and sides and a golden puff pastry lid. The filling combines chunks of beef and mushrooms with onion, garlic and rosemary in a rich gravy.
Each person gets a whole pie, so there’s no slicing or sharing at the table. Serve them with fries (chips) and peas, buttered new potatoes and green beans or whatever simple vegetable side you want. The puff pastry lid breaks easily when you cut into it, while the shortcrust underneath contains the filling.
Beef Pie with Puff Pastry at a Glance
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: About 2 hours 15 minutes
- Chilling time: At least 2 hours
- Total time: At least 4 hours 35 minutes
- Servings: 4 individual pies
- Cuisine: British
- Main ingredients: Beef, mushrooms, onion, garlic, rosemary, shortcrust pastry and puff pastry
- Best cooking method: Simmer the filling on the stove, then bake the pies
- Storage: Refrigerate and use within 3 to 4 days
Why You’ll Love It
- Proper chunks of beef: The filling has chunks of slow-cooked beef and mushrooms in gravy, it’s not a ground beef pie.
- Two kinds of pastry: Shortcrust forms the base and sides while puff pastry gives each pie a golden lid.
- Ready-rolled pastry saves work: You make the filling without having to make either pastry from scratch.
Ingredient Notes
- Gravy beef: Look for boneless beef shin or beef sold for slow cooking. Chuck is another option, but cook it until tender instead of relying solely on the clock, as it can take longer.
- Mushrooms, onion and garlic: Quarter the mushrooms or halve instead if they’re smaller. They cook with the onion, garlic and rosemary before you add the broth.
- Beef broth: Choose one you like the taste of and check its saltiness before seasoning the finished filling. You can also use homemade beef bone broth.
- Tomato paste: This is sold as tomato purée in the UK and known as tomato concentrate in other areas. Don’t use pourable tomato sauce in its place.
- Shortcrust and puff pastry: Check the dimensions on both packages. Shortcrust lines the pans and puff pastry goes on top.
What is Gravy Beef?
Gravy beef is a slow-cooking cut generally sold as boneless beef shin in Australia. It has connective tissue that softens as the meat simmers, which is ideal for a pie filling.
In the US, beef shin or a stewing cut such as chuck will work, though the simmering time may change. Check the beef itself before cooling the filling: it should be almost falling-apart tender.
Tips for Making the Pies
- Cook the beef until tender: If the pieces are still chewy after the suggested simmer, keep cooking them gently and check again.
- Chill the filling: Divide it between shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. Fill the pastry only once the beef is cold.
- Keep the pastry cool: Thaw each sheet just enough to cut and fit into the pans without cracking.
- Check your pans: I used 4 individual pie pans with bases about 3 ¾ inches (9.5cm) across and sides about 1 ¼ inches (3cm) deep.
- Vent the lids: I like to cut a small cross in each puff pastry top before baking, so steam can escape.
Handy Equipment
- Lidded heavy pot: To brown the beef in batches and then simmer the filling.
- 4 individual metal pie pans: To bake the pies.
- Baking sheet: Set the pie pans on it to move them in and out of the oven.
- Pastry brush: To brush beaten egg around the rims and over the lids.
What to Serve with Beef Pie
Fries (chips) and peas or green beans go well with these pies. If you want a potato side from another recipe, make crispy roasted potatoes with garlic or serve a smaller portion of colcannon with Irish cheddar. Steamed carrots or broccoli are good too.
How to Store
- Make ahead: Cook the filling up to a day before assembling the pies. Divide it between shallow containers and refrigerate it promptly.
- Refrigerate: Keep the filling or baked pies refrigerated for 3 to 4 days from the day you cooked the filling. Baking the pies later doesn’t restart that period.
- Reheat: Warm baked pies in the oven until the filling reaches 165°F (74°C) in the center. Cover the lids loosely with foil if they brown too quickly.
- Freeze: Freeze the cooled filling separately or wrap baked pies well. For best quality, use cooked beef leftovers within 2 to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F (74°C).
Beef Pie with Puff Pastry FAQs
Yes. Cut it into similar-sized pieces and simmer until tender. Chuck may need more time, so check the meat before you chill the filling.
Warm filling softens pastry while you fit and seal the lids. Divide the cooked beef between shallow containers, refrigerate it promptly and wait until it is cold.
The filling can go into a larger pie dish, but the pastry quantity and baking time will depend on its size. The individual-pie baking time has not been tested for one large pie.
No. These pies use shortcrust pastry for the bases and sides and puff pastry for the lids.
Beef Pie with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds (700g) boneless gravy beef or beef shin, cut into ¾-inch (2cm) pieces
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 8 ¾ oz (250g) fresh mushrooms, quartered
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups plus 1 ½ tablespoons (375ml) beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (tomato purée)
- 2 ready-rolled shortcrust pastry sheets, each about 10 x 10 inches (25 x 25cm), thawed just enough to handle
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 ready-rolled puff pastry sheets, each about 10 x 10 inches (25 x 25cm), thawed just enough to handle
Equipment
- 4 individual metal pie pans, about 3 ¾ inches (9.5cm) across the bases and 1 ¼ inches (3cm) deep
- Large bowl
- Heavy lidded pot
- Pastry brush
- Baking sheet
- Shallow food storage containers
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Garlic press
- Wooden spoon
Method
- Add the beef to a large bowl. Sprinkle it with the flour, season with salt and black pepper and toss to coat.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown half the beef for about 5 minutes, turning the pieces. Transfer it to a plate. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and brown the rest of the beef, then transfer it to the plate.
- Add the onion, quartered mushrooms, rosemary and garlic to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Stir in the beef broth and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cover. Cook gently for 1 hour.
- Uncover and simmer for about 30 minutes more, until the beef is tender and the gravy has reduced. If the beef is still chewy, continue cooking gently and check again. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Divide the filling between shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. Chill for at least 2 hours, until cold. You can prepare it a day ahead.
- Heat the oven to 410°F (210°C). Cut each shortcrust sheet diagonally in half and fit one triangle into each of the 4 pie pans, covering the base and sides. Leave a little pastry above the rim and trim as needed.
- Brush the edges of the shortcrust with beaten egg. Divide the cold filling evenly among the pastry-lined pans.
- Cut each puff pastry sheet diagonally in half. Lay one triangle over each pie, trim the excess and press the edges together with a fork to seal. Brush the lids with the remaining egg and cut a small cross in the center of each.
- Set the pans on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, until the lids are puffed and golden. Let the pies stand briefly before serving.
Notes
- If the mushrooms are large, quarter them; smaller ones can just be halved.
- A larger pan may need pastry cut differently. Check the pan bases and depth before cutting the sheets.
- Keep baked pies or leftover filling refrigerated for 3 to 4 days from the day the filling was cooked. Reheat baked pies until the centers reach 165°F (74°C).
A Pie for Everyone
Steak pie is a cornerstone of pub menus across the UK, and making an authentic version at home is surprisingly straightforward. You can serve the pies whole with fries and peas, or add roast potatoes and green beans. Everyone gets their own golden lid to break through and a generous helping of beef and mushrooms, so there’s no uneven slicing of one large pie.
More Beef and Pie Recipes
My British steak and ale pie uses a different filling and pastry arrangement. There’s also slow cooker beef stew and dumplings for a beef dinner without pastry, or Finnish beef and onion pasties if you want smaller pastries. And my English chicken pie is also really good.
