Overview
Pepper steak pie
By Amy // Posted Apr 30, 2022 // Category Savoury, Tarts and Pastry
The first thing I do in regional towns is to grab a Pepper Steak Pie, there’s nothing more satisfying than a piping hot pie.
I wanted to recreate my favourite pie at home, jam packed with chunks of melt in your mouth chunks of beef and one that is VERY peppery.
The beef has been simmered in some tomato based gravy and it goes so well with the flaky and buttery pastry.
I made the pie with my own pastry, but I recommend using store bought shortcrust and puff pastry as it’s easier and quicker to make.
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tips
1. Ingredients
I would recommend to salt and pepper the steak first, then let it come to room temperature before frying it. Salting the steak in advance helps the saltiness reach the middle. The richer the beef stock, the better your pie will turn out. You should also use freshly cracked coarse pepper if possible. To speed up the pie making process, I think using store bought pastry is better. You need shortcrust pastry in the base and puff pastry on the top.
2. Equipment
I used individual single pie moulds that are 13cmx3cm (5inx1in). You need a large pot or Dutch oven to prepare the filling. You also need a large mixing bowl, chopping board, knife, wooden spoon, baking beans (for blind baking), a fork, pastry brush, and a baking tray to place your pies onto.
3. How do you blind bake?
Blind baking is the process of baking the base without the filling so that the pastry has time to crisp up and cook. You need to put the shortcrust pastry into the pie mould, poke the bottom with a fork, then place some baking paper on top of the pastry. Then you need to put some baking beans on top of the baking paper. After, bake it for around 10 minutes in a preheated oven. You can skip this, but your pies but have a soggy bottom.
4. Why do you use cold filling?
5. Make two large family sized pies instead.
Instead of making smaller individual pies, you can make two larger ones instead. You can use a 24cm (9.5in) pie dish, I used a glass Pyrex one. If there’s any leftover, these pies freeze well. Wrap it up well in some Glad wrap and put it into the freezer for up to 3 months.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and season with salt in pepper. Coat the chuck steak chunks in the flour mixture and shake off the excess.
Heat a large pot or a Dutch oven at medium heat and add some oil to the pot. Once the pot is hot, fry the beef until golden brown all over. Remove from the pot and set aside. You should cook the beef in 2-3 batches.
Add some more oil and fry the onions and garlic until lightly browned.
Add the beef back to the pot and add the tomato puree, beef stock, mixed herbs, Worcestershire sauce and pepper to the pot. Stir using a wooden spoon to deglaze (release the brown bits from pot) the pot. Bring to the boil and then let simmer for around 90 minutes or until the beef is very soft and the gravy is thick. Make sure you stir very often to avoid burning the filling and add more water if the gravy is too thick. Season more with salt and pepper if necessary. Let the filling cool before using.
When the filling is cooling, start preparing the pastry. Leave the shortcrust pastry and puff pastry on the counter to defrost. Preheat the oven to 220 C (430F).
Get around 7-8 pie moulds (mine are 13cmx3cm). Find a round bowl that is larger than your pie mould and cut out 7-8 circular pieces of shortcrust pastry. Press the shortcrust pastry into the pie moulds. Trim the excess pastry and poke some holes in the bottom using a fork. Place some baking paper into each pie mould and place baking beans on top of the baking paper. Blind bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Take the baking paper and baking beans out. Fill each pie with pepper steak filling, be careful not to overfill. Cut out 7-8 circular pieces of puff pastry using the same bowl as before and place it on top of the pie filling. Trim the excess pastry, crimp the edges using a fork and poke two holes in the centre using your fork. Brush the beaten egg on top of each pie using a pastry brush and crack some pepper generously on top of each pie.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until nice and golden. Serve hot with tomato sauce. These pies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Heat in the oven before serving the frozen pies.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and season with salt in pepper. Coat the chuck steak chunks in the flour mixture and shake off the excess.
Heat a large pot or a Dutch oven at medium heat and add some oil to the pot. Once the pot is hot, fry the beef until golden brown all over. Remove from the pot and set aside. You should cook the beef in 2-3 batches.
Add some more oil and fry the onions and garlic until lightly browned.
Add the beef back to the pot and add the tomato puree, beef stock, mixed herbs, Worcestershire sauce and pepper to the pot. Stir using a wooden spoon to deglaze (release the brown bits from pot) the pot. Bring to the boil and then let simmer for around 90 minutes or until the beef is very soft and the gravy is thick. Make sure you stir very often to avoid burning the filling and add more water if the gravy is too thick. Season more with salt and pepper if necessary. Let the filling cool before using.
When the filling is cooling, start preparing the pastry. Leave the shortcrust pastry and puff pastry on the counter to defrost. Preheat the oven to 220 C (430F).
Get around 7-8 pie moulds (mine are 13cmx3cm). Find a round bowl that is larger than your pie mould and cut out 7-8 circular pieces of shortcrust pastry. Press the shortcrust pastry into the pie moulds. Trim the excess pastry and poke some holes in the bottom using a fork. Place some baking paper into each pie mould and place baking beans on top of the baking paper. Blind bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Take the baking paper and baking beans out. Fill each pie with pepper steak filling, be careful not to overfill. Cut out 7-8 circular pieces of puff pastry using the same bowl as before and place it on top of the pie filling. Trim the excess pastry, crimp the edges using a fork and poke two holes in the centre using your fork. Brush the beaten egg on top of each pie using a pastry brush and crack some pepper generously on top of each pie.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until nice and golden. Serve hot with tomato sauce. These pies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Heat in the oven before serving the frozen pies.
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Shoot, wish the tomato paste was included in the ingredients list. I don’t have any on hand, so thought this was the steak pie recipe for me – darn. I’ll improvise and see how it goes 😉
Hi Chelsey, sorry, I’ve added the tomato puree now. I really loved the intense pepper flavour, hope you enjoyed the pie!