Name: Mary Berry Steak Pie Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: Steak Filling:; 1 kg braising steak (chuck or shin, in 3–4cm chunks, dusted in 2 tbsp plain flour); 3 tbsp sunflower oil; 200 g smoked lardons; 2 large onions (halved and thinly sliced); 3 carrots (in 1cm rounds); 3 garlic cloves (crushed); 2 tbsp tomato purée; 330 ml dark ale or stout; 400 ml beef stock; 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp dried thyme (2 bay leaves); 250 g chestnut mushrooms (quartered — cooked separately in butter); Salt and pepper; Puff Pastry Lid:; 375 g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry (cold); 1 large egg (beaten)

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Steak pie is the British pub classic done at home — properly, generously, without compromise. A great steak pie has a filling that is dark, rich, deeply flavoured, and deeply seasoned — beef braised until completely tender in a sauce that has reduced to something glossy and intensely meaty, with mushrooms and a proper dark ale giving depth and complexity.

The filling takes time. Two hours of slow braising gives beef that is completely tender, falling apart slightly when pressed, and surrounded by a sauce that has reduced to the right thickness without any thickening being needed.

This is the difference between a steak pie filling that is genuinely wonderful and one that is merely acceptable — the properly braised beef gives a natural body and depth that no amount of cornflour can replicate.

I make this for Sunday lunch, for a weekend dinner party where something specifically British and specifically generous is wanted, and for any occasion where a pie is the right answer.

Ingredients for Mary Berry Steak Pie

For the Steak Filling

1kg braising steak — chuck or shin, cut into 3–4cm chunks
2 tbsp plain flour — for dusting the beef before browning
3 tbsp sunflower oil
200g smoked lardons or smoked streaky bacon, cut into 1cm pieces
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1cm rounds
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp tomato purée
330ml good quality dark ale or stout — Guinness or a good British dark ale
400ml good quality beef stock
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme — or 2 tsp fresh
2 bay leaves
250g chestnut mushrooms, quartered — cooked separately in butter until golden
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Puff Pastry Lid

375g sheet ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry — cold from the fridge
1 large egg, beaten — for brushing

How to Make Mary Berry Steak Pie

Step 1 — Brown the Lardons and Beef

Season the beef chunks generously. Toss in the plain flour to give a light coating — shake off any excess. The flour gives additional browning on the beef surface and thickens the sauce slightly during braising.

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Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy-based casserole over a medium-high heat. Add the lardons — cook for five to six minutes until golden and slightly crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon.

In the same casserole, working in batches, brown the floured beef chunks in the remaining oil — three to four minutes per side until deeply golden on all surfaces. Do not crowd the pan — maximum four pieces at a time. Remove each batch as it is done.

Step 2 — Build the Filling

In the same casserole, cook the sliced onions over a medium heat for ten minutes until soft and golden. Add the carrots and garlic — cook for three more minutes.

Add the tomato purée — stir for one minute. Pour in the dark ale — bubble vigorously for three to four minutes, scraping up all the golden residue from the base of the pan. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves.

Return the browned beef and lardons. Season generously. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover tightly.

Cook on the lowest possible heat — or in a preheated 160°C / 140°C fan / Gas 3 oven — for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours until the beef is completely tender and the sauce has reduced to a rich, glossy consistency that coats the beef generously.

Step 3 — Cook the Mushrooms and Finish the Filling

While the beef braises, cook the mushrooms separately. Heat a knob of butter in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Add the quartered mushrooms. Cook without stirring for three minutes — then stir and cook for three more minutes until deeply golden and all moisture has evaporated.

When the beef is ready — remove the bay leaves. Stir in the cooked mushrooms. Taste and season assertively. Leave the filling to cool completely — at least forty-five minutes. The filling must not be hot when the pastry lid goes on.

Step 4 — Assemble and Bake

Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6.

Spoon the completely cooled filling into a deep 28x20cm ovenproof pie dish — heaping it generously. Brush the rim with beaten egg.

Unroll the cold puff pastry. Lay over the filling. Press the edges firmly against the rim — trim the excess with a sharp knife. Crimp decoratively. Cut four to five generous vents in the lid. Brush the entire surface generously with beaten egg. Decorate with pastry trimmings if desired.

Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until the pastry lid is deeply golden, dramatically risen and flaky, and the filling is bubbling through the vents.

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Rest for ten minutes before serving.

My Top Tips For Perfect Mary Berry Steak Pie

Dust the beef in flour before browning. The thin flour coating gives additional browning on the surface of each piece of beef — more Maillard reaction, more colour, and a slight thickening contribution to the sauce during braising. It also gives a slightly better texture to the finished braised beef.

Brown in very small batches — maximum four pieces. A steak pie filling with its lardons and the browning of the beef takes time. Four pieces at a time, deeply browned on all surfaces, gives the dark, intensely flavoured base that makes this pie specifically wonderful. Crowding the pan gives steamed, pale beef and a flat sauce.

Use dark ale or stout. The dark ale gives the specifically robust, slightly bitter depth that distinguishes a great steak pie filling from a generic beef casserole. Guinness gives the darkest, deepest result. A good British dark ale gives a slightly more rounded character. Light beer or wine gives something completely different and considerably less specifically a steak pie.

Cool the filling completely before applying the pastry. The same instruction as every pie recipe on this site — and equally essential here. Hot filling creates steam that prevents the pastry from rising and gives a slightly soggy, slightly sad lid instead of the dramatic, golden, flaky one that is specifically the point.

The mushrooms cooked separately are what give the mushroom in the finished pie its character. Mushrooms added raw to a braise become grey and indistinct. Mushrooms caramelised separately in hot butter and added at the end give golden, slightly earthy pieces that retain their character in the finished pie.

Serving Suggestions

With buttered mashed potato alongside — the natural pairing for a rich steak pie. With steamed green vegetables. On its own — a generous portion of steak pie with its pastry, filling, and sauce is a completely self-contained and completely satisfying meal.

How to Store Mary Berry Steak Pie

In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. Reheat covered with foil at 180°C for 20 minutes — removing foil for the final five minutes to re-crisp the pastry.

In the freezer: Freeze the filling without the pastry for up to 3 months. Apply cold puff pastry and bake from cold — adding ten minutes to the baking time.

Mary Berry Steak Pie Recipe

Mary Berry’s steak pie has a deeply rich ale and beef filling under a golden puff pastry lid — the most satisfying, most robustly flavoured British pie.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

Cooling Time 45

Total Time 1 40

Servings: 6 Portions

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Calories: 620

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Steak Filling:
1 kg braising steak chuck or shin, in 3–4cm chunks, dusted in 2 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp sunflower oil
200 g smoked lardons
2 large onions halved and thinly sliced
3 carrots in 1cm rounds
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 tbsp tomato purée
330 ml dark ale or stout
400 ml beef stock
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme 2 bay leaves
250 g chestnut mushrooms quartered — cooked separately in butter
Salt and pepper
Puff Pastry Lid:
375 g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry cold
1 large egg beaten

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Method

Season beef — toss in flour. Brown lardons in hot oil 5–6 minutes until golden. Remove. Brown beef in batches — deeply golden on all surfaces — remove each batch.
Cook onions 10 minutes. Add carrots and garlic — 3 minutes. Add purée — 1 minute. Add ale — bubble 3–4 minutes. Add stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves. Return beef and lardons. Season. Simmer covered on lowest heat or in 160°C oven 1 hour 45 minutes – 2 hours until tender.
Cook mushrooms separately in hot butter until golden and dry. Add to filling when beef is ready. Remove bay leaves. Season assertively. Cool completely — 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Fill pie dish generously. Brush rim with egg. Lay cold puff pastry over — press edges, trim, crimp. Cut generous vents. Brush generously with egg. Bake 28–32 minutes until deeply golden and bubbling.
Rest 10 minutes. Serve with mashed potato.

Notes

Dust beef in flour before browning — gives more colour and slight sauce thickening.

Brown in batches of four — crowding gives steamed, pale beef and a flat sauce.

Use dark ale or stout — gives the robustly flavoured depth that defines a great steak pie.

Cool filling completely before applying pastry — hot filling prevents proper rising.

Cook mushrooms separately — gives golden, earthy pieces rather than grey indistinct softness.

Freeze filling without pastry for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use shortcrust pastry instead of puff?

Yes — shortcrust gives a more substantial, more rustic result. Use the shortcrust pastry recipe on this site. Brush with egg and bake at the same temperature for 25 to 30 minutes.

Can I make a double-crust steak pie?

Yes — line the pie dish with shortcrust pastry, add the cooled filling, and top with a shortcrust or puff lid. Increase the shortcrust pastry quantity to 450g flour and 225g cold butter for a full double-crust pie.

Can I add kidney?

Yes — 200g of ox kidney, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces, added with the beef gives the classic steak and kidney filling. Brown the kidney with the beef as directed.

Can I add ale-braised onions instead of sliced onions?

Yes — caramelise two large onions for twenty minutes until deeply golden and sweet, then add the ale and continue as directed. Deeply caramelised onions give an even richer, sweeter base to the filling.