RecipesUK 
Steak & Ale Pie
A hearty British pie made lighter — lean beef slow-cooked in ale gravy with extra veg, under a crisp filo lid instead of puff pastry.
Ingredients
- 700g lean stewing beef, diced
- 1 tbsp wholemeal flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 200g mushrooms, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 250ml ale
- 300ml beef stock
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt & pepper
- 3–4 sheets filo pastry
- Olive oil spray
Method
- 1
Toss the beef in flour and brown in olive oil; set aside.
- 2
Soften the onion, carrot, mushrooms and garlic.
- 3
Return the beef, add ale, stock, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaf.
- 4
Cover and simmer gently 1½–2 hours until tender; season.
- 5
Spoon into a dish and top with scrunched filo, misted with olive oil.
- 6
Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20–25 minutes until golden.
Swaps & variations
- Use extra mushrooms to reduce the meat
- Alcohol-free: swap ale for extra stock + 1 tsp balsamic
- Top with mashed potato instead of filo
Storing & freezing
Filling keeps 3 days in the fridge and freezes 3 months; add filo before baking.
Grow it yourself
- Onions: Plant sets in spring. Water during dry spells
- Carrots: Direct sow into sandy, fine soil. Thin seedlings early
- Herbs: Rosemary and thyme grow well in pots and dry soils
- Garlic: Plant cloves in autumn. Harvest midsummer
- Carrot fly: fleece covers
- Onion thrips: garlic spray
- Companion plant rosemary with carrots to deter pests
- Carrots: Pull young for sweetness or mature for stews
- Onions: Harvest when tops flop over
- Herbs: Pick before flowering for best oil content
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