Few dishes embody the heart and soul of traditional British comfort food quite like a classic steak and mushroom pie. With tender chunks of slow-cooked beef, earthy mushrooms, and a deep, savory gravy all tucked beneath a golden, buttery crust, it’s the kind of meal that warms you from the inside out.

Loved in pubs, kitchens, and family tables across the country, this timeless pie has earned its reputation as a true staple of English cooking. In this recipe, we explain what makes the steak and mushroom pie such an enduring favorite, the flavors that define it, and why it remains one of the most satisfying dishes in the world of proper English grub.

This recipe will make 4-6 small pies about 4 inch diameter or 1 big pie approx 9x6x3 inch.

Shortcrust Pastry

Notes

1. This pastry recipe is the standard flour/fats 2:1 ratio, for the butter and lard you can just use 113 g which is 1 stick and it won't make any difference.
2. The salt added to egg wash helps the egg breakdown and this produces a silky smooth egg wash. Make sure you beat it well.

Filling

Notes

1. The amounts are only approx, you can add more or less depending on how much you like things

Preparing The Pastry

1. The pastry is standard shortcrust pastry, except as mentioned, it's important to use bread flour, so if you are familiar with making pastry you can skip a head to the making the filling.
2. Mix the flour and salt.
3. Cut the cold butter and lard into small cubes, in a large bowl add to flour and use fingers to make a bread crumb type consistency (or use a food processor).
4. Add the cold water a little at a time, mix with a wooden spoon, bring the dough together and tip out on to a lightly floured surface. Knead for a few minutes until you have a fairly uniform and smooth dough, needing is required to develop some gluten so the dough has some strength required for folding and crimping. Wrap in film and leave in fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preparing The Filling

1. In a pan add a little cooking oil and beef cubes, on medium heat brown the beef.
2. Add the diced onions and cook until softened
3. In a cup add 16 oz of hot water, the beef stock cubes and the gravy granules, mix well and add to the beef.
4. Add all the seasoning ingredients, mix well and simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes.
5. It's important to simmer on a low heat for quite a while to really bring out all the flavors and make the meat very tender. Stir often and add additional water if it looks like it is drying out.
6. Taste test and adjust seasoning if required, remove from pan and allow it to cool. You cannot add hot filling to pastry.

Building the Pasty

1. Cut up the pastry into 2 pieces, roll into a ball then roll out so it's larger than the baking tin you are using. Line the tin.
2. Do the same for the lid.
3. Add the cooled filing to the pie.
4. Wet the edge with water and add the lid, trim off excess.
5. Crimp the edges either with fingers or using a fork.
6. Make a hole in the top to let steam out.
7. Make up the egg wash and beat really well until smooth, egg wash and leave in fridge for a while to firm up again

Baking the Pie

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F, if you want a really great golden color egg wash the pie again. Bake in oven for about 35 to 45 minutes, as the filling is already cooked (unlike Cornish Pasties) you are only baking the pastry. Bake until golden brown but not burnt!.

Other pies and pasties I make

• Pork Pie
• Cheese and onion pasty
• Ground beef and onion pasty
• Cornish pasty