Family Meat Pie
User Reviews
5
128 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs
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Cooling filling
3 hrs
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Total Time
7 hrs 20 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
806 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Australian
Family Meat Pie
Report
The Family Meat Pie features tender chunks of chuck beef slow-cooked with bacon, mushrooms, and aromatic vegetables in a rich Guinness-infused sauce thickened with a beurre manié. The filling is encased in a pastry shell topped with puff pastry, creating a hearty, rustic dish suitable for sharing. The slow cooking tenderizes the beef and melds the flavors, while the pastry lid adds a flaky contrast to the savory filling.
Description
The Family Meat Pie combines 800g of cubed chuck beef, bacon, mushrooms, and a selection of vegetables including onion, garlic, carrot, and celery, all cooked slowly with Guinness beer, beef stock, and water. The robust sauce is finished with a beurre manié made from butter and flour to achieve a thick, glossy consistency that clings to the tender beef pieces. The filling is baked between a shortcrust pastry base and a puff pastry lid brushed with egg wash. This method develops a rich savory filling with concentrated flavors and a satisfying texture contrast from the crisp, golden pastry.
The pie is best served fresh from the oven with a condiment like ketchup or Australian tomato sauce to complement the deep flavors of the meat and sauce. The filling benefits from cooling before assembling to ensure a puff pastry lid that puffs properly without becoming soggy. Variations on stock, alcohol, and pastry types can affect the final taste and texture, allowing some customization within the recipe framework.
To maintain texture and flavor, it is recommended to store the filling and pie components separately if assembling ahead. The filling can be refrigerated overnight to develop further flavor and the completed, unbaked pie can be frozen and baked later. When reheating, ensure the pie is heated thoroughly to maintain the integrity of the pastry and the warmth of the filling.
Share:
Ingredients
Beef:
- 800g/ 1.6lb chuck beef , 3.5cm/1.4" cubes (Note 1)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil , plus more as needed (or vegetable or canola)
Filling:
- 30g / 2tbsp butter unsalted
- 200g / 7 oz mushrooms , smallish, halved (larger ones quartered)
- 125g / 4 oz streaky bacon , cut into 1 x 1.5cm / 0.4 / 0.6" cubes
- 1 onion , cut into 2cm / 0.8" cubes
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 celery , cut into 1cm/0.4" slices (split wide end of celery lengthwise, don’t want giant celery chunks)
- 1 carrot , halved, 1cm/0.4" slices (quarter very thick end if needed)
- 330ml / 11 oz Guinness beer Note 2
- 2 cups beef stock , homemade or store bought low sodium (Note 3)
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper plus more as desired, coarsely crushed
Beurre Manié (sauce thickener, Note 4)
- 4 tbsp flour
- 60g / 4 tbsp butter softened, unsalted
Pastry:
- 1 shortcrust pastry homemade or store bought (Note 5, quantity
- 1 puff pastry for lid (Note 6, sheet
- 1 egg , lightly whisked
Serving:
- ketchup for serving, or Aussie Tomato Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
- Brown beef: Sprinkle beef with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Brown beef aggressively in 2 to 3 batches (do not crowd pot, else it gets watery instead of browning). Then remove beef into a big bowl.
- Wipe down pot: Wipe pot clean of burnt bits, if needed.
- Cook bacon: Cool pot, add bacon. Place pot back onto medium heat. When you see some fat starting to melt, turn heat up to medium high and cook bacon until golden. Then remove into bowl with beef.
- Cook mushrooms: Melt 30g/ 2tbsp butter in the pot. Cook mushrooms until golden with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove into separate bowl with slotted spoon.
- Cook other vegetables: Add onion, garlic, carrot and celery then cook for 5 minutes until onion is soft and sweet, not too golden. Add oil if needed, but bacon fat + residual butter should be enough.
- Oven slow cook: Add beef, bacon, Guinness, water, stock, 1/4 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper. Stir then bring to simmer. Cover with lid, then transfer to oven for 1 hour.
- Add mushrooms, then continue cooking in the oven for a further 1 hour. Meat should be starting to be tender at this stage.
Thicken Sauce and Cool:
- Stove reduce: Remove pot from oven. Remove lid, then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes to reduce sauce. Meat should now be "fall-apart-tender" but just holding form (not disintegrating).
- Sauce thickener (Beurre Manié - Note 4): Mix together butter and flour until smooth.
- Thicken sauce: Stir Beurre Manié into sauce. Once melted, leave on the stove for another 2 minutes. Sauce should be thicker than a normal stew, like a honey consistency. Sauce will not thicken any more in oven, so make it exactly what you want - Note 7. Also, there will be more sauce than you expect for a pie - some gets absorbed by pastry (but won't make it soggy).
- Cool: Cover pot with lid, then let it cool completely, preferably overnight. (Note 8)
Assemble and bake:
- Shortcrust base: Make and blind bake Shortcrust Pastry per that recipe using a 23cm/9” pie dish, whether using homemade or store bought. Then let it cool for at least 15 minutes (stays crispier).
- Preheat oven: Turn oven up to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
- Fill pie: Bring filling to room temp, do not use fridge cold. (Note 9) Fill pie with filling (use it all, pack it in a level surface or have slight mound).
- Puff pastry lid: Partially thaw puff pastry (do not cut). Brush lip of pie crust base with egg, then top with puff pastry sheet. Trim excess with scissors, press to adhere to edges. Then press the tip of a fork around the edge to make little crimps (to further adhere + decorative).
- Egg wash: Brush top with remaining whisked egg, then make a 2.5cm / 1" X incision in middle to allow steam to escape (stops lid doming).
- Bake: Bake 45 - 50 minutes until top is super golden. Rest 5 minutes. Brag in comments below that you made this magnificent pie. Save Nagi a slice. Then serve remainder with ketchup or Aussie tomato sauce!
Notes
- Choose chuck beef with good marbling for juicier, more tender meat; cut to size yourself rather than using pre-cut pieces.
- Guinness or stout beer adds key richness to the sauce; alternatives include dry red wine or a non-alcoholic beer substitute with anchovy paste if needed.
- Use low sodium beef stock to control overall saltiness in the filling.
- Beurre manié thickens the sauce after cooking, preserving tender meat and a smooth, glossy finish.
- Allow the filling to cool before assembling to prevent the puff pastry from becoming soggy and to ensure proper puffing during baking.
- The pie crust can be blind baked if desired to increase pastry stability.
- Store unbaked assembled pies in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage; perform egg wash just before baking.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
806cal
(40%)
Carbohydrates
38g
(13%)
Protein
41g
(82%)
Fat
53g
(82%)
Saturated Fat
21g
(105%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
5g
(29%)
Monounsaturated Fat
25g
(125%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
173mg
(58%)
Sodium
1243mg
(52%)
Potassium
955mg
(20%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
2178IU
(44%)
Vitamin C
3mg
(3%)
Calcium
55mg
(6%)
Iron
5mg
(28%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 806 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 806cal | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 38g | 13% |
| Protein | 41g | 82% |
| Fat | 53g | 82% |
| Saturated Fat | 21g | 105% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 25g | 125% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 173mg | 58% |
| Sodium | 1243mg | 52% |
| Potassium | 955mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 2178IU | 44% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 55mg | 6% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
128 reviews
Excellent
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