Hairy Bikers Steak and Mushroom Pie

The Hairy Bikers have published two different steak and mushroom pies, and this is the traditional one, the double-crust shortcrust version from Perfect Pies. Chuck steak braises low with red wine and Worcestershire for two hours, then serves 4-6 at around 810 calories in just over 3 hours.

The book calls it “heritage on a plate,” and cheap chuck steak is the reason it earns that. The cut carries more flavour than pricier steak, while the long, gentle braise at 150°C melts it tender.

Mushrooms go in late for a reason, since they fry separately in butter and only join the beef for the final half hour. Adding them raw at the start would leave them grey and waterlogged, but this way they stay golden and meaty.

Hairy Bikers Steak and Mushroom Pie Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 40 minutesCook time:2 hours 30 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:3 hours 10 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:810 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Browned chuck steak braises slowly with onion, garlic, red wine, Worcestershire, and stock until tender, with buttery fried chestnut mushrooms joining near the end. The cooled filling bakes inside a full homemade shortcrust case until golden and piping hot.

Ingredients

For the Filling

• 750g chuck steak, trimmed of any hard fat or gristle
• 2-3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2 medium onions, halved and sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 150ml red wine
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 500ml beef stock (made with 1 stock cube)
• 1 bay leaf
• 25g butter
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, wiped and halved, or quartered if large
• Flaked sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Shortcrust Pastry

• 400g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• 250g cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 large egg, beaten with 2 tbsp cold water
• Beaten egg, to glaze

Instructions

1. Brown the beef: Cut the steak into 3cm cubes and season well, then fry in batches over a high heat until browned all over. Transfer to a casserole dish, toss in the flour, and preheat the oven to 150°C.
2. Build the gravy: Cook the onions and garlic in a little more oil for 5 minutes until soft. Deglaze the pan with the wine and Worcestershire sauce, stirring hard to lift the sediment.
3. Braise low and slow: Pour the gravy over the beef, then add the stock and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, cover, and cook in the oven for 1½ hours.
4. Add the mushrooms: Fry the mushrooms in the butter for 5 minutes until lightly browned, then stir them into the beef. Return to the oven for 30 minutes more, then leave to cool completely.
5. Make the pastry: Blitz the flour and butter to breadcrumbs, then add the egg and water with the motor running until a ball forms. Split it two-thirds for the base, one-third for the lid.
6. Assemble and bake: Turn the oven up to 210°C, then line a 23cm pie dish with the larger piece and add the cooled filling. Brush the pastry rim with egg, lay on the lid, trim and crimp, then glaze and bake for 30 minutes until golden.

FAQs

Is there a quicker version of this pie?

Yes, and it comes from the Bikers themselves, since One Pot Wonders has a second steak and mushroom pie built for speed. It uses a ready-rolled puff sheet as a lid only, simmers on the hob in one pot, and adds Dijon mustard to the gravy.

So treat them as two tools, because the puff version suits a weeknight, while this full shortcrust case is the one to make when the pie is the occasion.

What are the smoked oysters about in the other version?

The One Pot Wonders recipe suggests a can of smoked mussels or oysters scattered over the beef, and it is not a gimmick. The book explains they are a traditional steak pie ingredient, going back to when oysters were cheap filler.

They add a gentle smoky depth rather than a fishy taste, so they are worth trying once. The same tradition shows up in their steak and kidney pudding, where Meat Feasts offers the mushroom swap going the other way.

Can I make a steak, ale and mushroom pie from this?

You could swap the red wine for ale, but the Bikers have already done that job properly. Their steak and ale pie cooks a full bottle of real ale into the gravy and finishes with 250g of fried chestnut mushrooms.

So if ale and mushrooms together is what you are after, that recipe is already the pie you mean.

Why chuck steak, and what else works?

Chuck is the book’s pick because it is cheap and full of flavour, with enough connective tissue to turn silky over the slow braise. Lean, expensive cuts actually do worse here, since they dry out long before two hours is up.

Shin or brisket braise the same way, so both are fine swaps, and the test is a fork sliding in easily rather than the clock.

Can I prepare this pie in stages?

The filling is built for it, since it has to cool completely before the pastry anyway. Braise it a day or two ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, then the pie needs only assembling and 30 minutes baking.

The pastry can also be made a day ahead and chilled wrapped. And if beef and mushrooms is the pairing you love but the time is not there, their beef stroganoff delivers it in half an hour.