I do love a hearty pie for dinner. We all love a nice sweet pie for dessert, but savoury pies can make a wonderful dinner. This deep filled minced beef pie makes such a dinner. Ground beef in another name for minced beef. So, minced beef is the mainstay of this recipe. But there is so much more too.
The pie filling also includes vegetables. Those, in my pie, are onion, carrot, celery and potato. But other vegetables, such as peas, beans or turnip would be great too.
Of course a good pie needs more. It certainly needs a lovely outer casing, and this pie has a wonderful shortcrust pastry. The filling, too, needs some moisture and for this pie that is in the form of a rich red wine gravy.
There are several different stages in making this recipe. Firstly a slow-cooked filling is prepared. That, then, has to be chilled. Then, and I did this the following day, it is time to make the pastry. Then it is time to assemble the pie. For my pie I made the filling one day and the pastry and the pie the following day.
Although I used an 8 inch/20cm square pan for my pie it fits perfectly in a 9 inch/23cm round pie dish too.
My Bake
I was extremely satisfied with my pie. It baked beautifully with a wonderfully browned pastry. The filling, too, was awesome. Altogether it was a simply delicious pie.
It provided a hearty meal that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Why not try another great dinner recipe, Bacon & Onion Roly Poly.
Deep Filled Minced Beef Pie
Course: Pies, Tarts4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
- Filling
500g(1.1 lbs) minced beef
100g(3 1/2 oz) bacon chopped(lardons are good too)
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
1 stick of celery, diced
1 large potato, diced
200ml (1/2 + 1/3 cup) beef stock
60ml(1/4 cup) red wine
20g(2 tbsp) plain flour
12g (1 tbsp) sugar
5ml(1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp herbs de provence(or similar such as mixed herbs or thyme)
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
- Pastry
400g(2 2/3 cups, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour
200g(14 tbsp + 1 tsp) cold unsalted butter, cubed
3g(1/2 tsp) salt
1 medium egg(large in USA)
55ml(1/4 cup minus 1 tsp) water – see note below
1 egg, for egg wash
Directions
- Fry the onions in a large pan, with a little oil, until softened.
- Add the garlic into the pan as the onions begin to soften.
- When the onions are soft add the carrot, celery and potato and gently fry for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
- In the same pan fry the bacon until it is cooked how you like it, crisp or just cooked, then transfer that to the bowl with the vegetables.
- Fry the minced beef, in small amounts, in the same pan, until starting to brown. Don’t use any oil.
- Transfer the beef to the bowl as well.
- Stir the mixture together and sprinkle of the sugar and flour and stir again until mixed through.
- In the pan cook off the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any fond.
- Add the filling mixture into the pan and stir around.
- Add the beef stock and stir again.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, parsley, herbs de provence and bay leaf and stir again.
- Bring the mixture up to boiling point and then reduce the heat to just simmering.
- Cover the pan with a lid and simmer gently for at least two hours, stirring from time to time to avoid any sticking on the bottom.
- Season with salt and pepper, and add a little more stock if necessary.
- When the filling is thickened and cooked transfer to a large bowl and allow it to cool.
- Chill the filling mixture in the fridge until required( I chilled mine overnight).
- Add the flour, salt and butter into a processor bowl and blitz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs(you can rub it in by hand to achieve the same).
- Mix the water and egg together and pour into the dry mixture, retaining about 1 tbsp to use later if needed.
- Process again until the mixture starts to clump into a dough.
- Transfer the dough into a bowl and squeeze it, kneading just a little, into a ball.
- Flatten the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap, then chill for 45 minutes.
- Divide the dough into two pieces, the large piece about 450g(1 lb).
- Roll out the large piece of dough on a lightly floured surface, until is large enough to line your pan.
- Gently line the pan with the pastry, leaving any excess around the edges.
- Roll out the second piece of dough until it is large enough to cover the top of the pie dish/pan.
- Carefully fill the lined pan with the minced beef filling, pressing down to level it across the pan.
- Beat the egg and brush some around the edge of the pastry lining, cutting off some of the excess but leaving enough to fold over.
- Place the top pastry over the filling and press to seal to the bottom pastry, around the edge of the pan.
- Fold the excess dough over onto the edge of the top, and crimp in a pattern of choice.
- Make some slits in the top pie, to allow steam to escape.
- Brush the top of the pie with egg and then place in the fridge to chill as you preheat the oven.
- Preheat the oven, placing a baking tray in at the same time, to 200C/180C Fan/400F.
- Brush the top of the pie again with egg wash. Then bake in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top has browned well and the filling is fully heated through.
- Remove from the oven and leave for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- The water and egg added together should be 105ml(7 tbsp)