
Steak and Ale Pie Ovals
Try this hearty steak and ale pie ovals recipe for a delicious meal. Made with Jus-Rol puff pastry, steak, bacon, vegetables and a real ale of your choice.
Quick Stats
Easy
15 Pies
15 minutes bake time
Steak and Ale Pie Ovals
Try this hearty steak and ale pie ovals recipe for a delicious meal. Made with Jus-Rol puff pastry, steak, bacon, vegetables and a real ale of your choice.
Ingredients
- 15 Jus-Rol™ Ready Rolled Puff Pastry 152 x 101mm Ovals
- 2 kg (4.4lb) Lean stewing or braising steak, medium diced
- 100 g (4oz) Streaky bacon, diced
- 2-3 tbsp oil
- 500 g (1lb) Medium onions, sliced
- 375 g Carrots, peeled and sliced
- 200 g (8oz) Parsnips, peeled and sliced
- 225 g (8oz) Button, field or chestnut mushrooms, wiped and halved
- 50 g (2oz) flour Beaten egg to glaze 1 ltr (approx. 2pts)
- Real ale of your choice (or half stock and half ale)
- Salt, Black pepper and a little fresh thyme
Equipment required
- Heavy based frying pan
- Saucepan
- Pie Dish
Techniques Used
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How to Make Puff Pastry Pie Tops
How to Make Puff Pastry Pie Tops
- When making a pie with a pastry top or lid, choose a dish with a rim and allow the filling to get cold before topping with pastry. Roll out pastry large enough to cover dish and with some spare. Cut a strip slightly wider than the dish rim, from the sides of the rolled pastry.
- Brush rim with water or beaten egg. Place pastry strip on rim and press firmly, continue with further strips until all rim covered. Brush rim with beaten egg or water.
- Roll pastry up on the rolling pin to lift it (as described in ‘Rolling out Puff Pastry’ section and gently unroll it over the pie dish. Press pastry edges firmly.
- Using a sharp knife trim off excess pastry by cutting downwards against the edge of the dish. Keep trimmings for decoration.
- Knock up edges to form a good seal by holding a sharp knife horizontally against cut edge and gently tapping the pastry edge all round.
- Make a fluted edge by pressing your thumb of your left hand firmly down on the top of the pastry on the opposite side of the dish from you, whilst drawing the back of a knife inwards, against your thumb as shown. Continue until all edge is fluted. Make a small steam escape hole in centre of lid.
- Re roll trimmings as described in the ‘Rolling out Puff Pastry ‘ section, cut out several strips of pastry.
- Holding the knife at an angle, cut the strips diagonally to give diamond shapes. With the point of the knife mark veins on the pastry ‘leaves’.
- To make a ‘stalk’ cut slightly narrower strips and roll them beneath opened hands to form long cylinders.
- Finally, make ‘berries’ by gently pinching off a small piece of pastry . Roll it in the palm of your hand with the fingers of the other hand to form small balls/ berries.
- Brush pie top with beaten egg. Lay the leaves, stalks and berries on in your chosen pattern and press gently onto lid. Brush again before baking.
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How to Roll Puff Pastry
How to Roll Puff Pastry
- For best results when rolling out puff pastry use a large, clean dry area of the work surface and lightly dust it with plain flour.
- Place pastry dough on surface and lightly dust it and the rolling pin with flour.
- Roll pastry firmly, always rolling away from you, give the dough 2-3 rolls.
- Then turn the dough a quarter turn.
- Dust again if necessary and continue rolling out, frequently turning the pastry so it is not always rolled in the same direction as this causes shrinkage.
- When the pastry has increased in size, pick it up to turn by rolling it round the rolling pin.
- Lift the pin with the pastry around it carefully and turn it to lay out and continue rolling. Again this is done to prevent the pastry from stretching as you lift it which in turn would result in shrinkage in baking. Puff pastry should be rolled out to approx. 4-5 mm depth.
- To re- roll puff pastry once you have cut something out from the main piece, layer up all the trimmings, folding to achieve approximately an even stack.
- Press stack lightly together with fingers.
- Then roll out as before.
Method
- Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7
- In a large heavy based pan, heat the oil and add bacon and then the steak in batches, allowing it to brown on all sides before removing with a slotted spoon and keeping to one side. Continue until all steak is browned.
- Add onions and gently sauté until they are just transparent. Return meat to pan along with the carrots and parsnips and the ale. Bring to boil then cover and simmer for approximately 45 minutes until meat is tender.
- Stir in the mushrooms, season to taste and allow the meat to get completely cold.
- Take the puff pastry ovals from freezer and allow to start to thaw slightly. Divide the steak and ale filing between 15 individual pie dishes and brush rims with beaten egg.
- Top each dish with a pastry disc, pressing the pastry down all around the edges. Make a small hole in top of each and glaze with egg wash.
- Bake for 15 minutes until pastry risen and golden.