Hairy Bikers Steak and Stilton Pie

This steak and stilton pie from the Hairy Bikers was born in Leicestershire, on their BBC Food Tour of Britain. That is why it stars two local heroes, since the beef marinates in 400ml of Leicestershire pale ale while the county’s own Stilton melts through the filling, serving 4 at around 1,840 calories for the full plate.

That local pride is also why the BBC titles it beef and stilton, so the two names mean the same wonderfully rich pie. And rich is the honest word, because these are individual restaurant-style pies with celeriac mustard mash, honey-roasted beetroot, and a gravy made from the cooking liquid.

All that richness needs one careful move though, because the Stilton only goes in after the beef has simmered tender and come off the heat. Stirred in then, the cheese melts into the sauce without splitting, so the whole filling turns creamy and sharp at once.

Hairy Bikers Steak and Stilton Pie Recipe

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

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time:1 hour 30 minutesCook time:2 hours 30 minutesRest time:3 hours Total time:7 hours Servings:4 servingsCalories:1840 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Chunks of braising steak marinate overnight in pale ale with garlic, thyme, and peppercorns, then simmer tender with mushrooms and shallots. Crumbled Stilton melts through the cooled filling, which bakes in individual rough puff cases and is served with celeriac mash, honey-roasted beetroot, and a gravy reduced from the cooking liquid.

Ingredients

For the Rough Puff Pastry

• 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 250g cold butter, cut into small cubes
• ½ tsp salt
• 125ml ice-cold water

For the Pie Filling

• 1kg braising steak, cut into chunks
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 400ml Leicestershire pale ale
• 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter, plus 1 tbsp for the gravy
• 100g chestnut button mushrooms
• 8 shallots, peeled and halved
• 500ml beef stock
• 75g Stilton cheese, crumbled
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 free-range egg, beaten

For the Celeriac and Mustard Mash

• 350g celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks
• 800g Maris Piper potatoes
• 150ml double cream
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp coarse grain mustard
• Salt and white pepper

For the Honey-Roasted Beetroot

• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp clear honey
• 500g cooked beetroot (not in vinegar)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Make the rough puff: Rub the butter and salt into the flour to breadcrumbs, then mix in the ice-cold water to a dough. Roll into a 40cm x 20cm rectangle, fold into thirds, quarter-turn, and repeat, then chill 30 minutes and fold twice more before a final chill.
2. Marinate the beef: Put the beef, garlic, thyme, peppercorns, and ale in a bowl, then cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, preferably overnight.
3. Brown and simmer: Pat the beef dry, dredge in the seasoned flour, and brown in batches in the oil and the 2 tablespoons of butter. Fry the mushrooms and shallots for 4-5 minutes, then return the beef with the strained marinade and stock, and simmer gently for 1½ hours until tender.
4. Add the Stilton: Strain off half the cooking liquid and set it aside for gravy. Crumble the Stilton into the beef off the heat, stir until melted, season, and leave to cool.
5. Build the pies: Grease and flour four 10cm chefs’ rings, set them on a baking tray, then fill each with the cooled beef. Cut four pastry circles with a little overhang, crimp them over the rings, make a small hole in each lid, and brush with beaten egg.
6. Bake and make the gravy: Cook at 180°C for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. While the pies bake, simmer the reserved liquid for 8-10 minutes until glossy, then stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
7. Make the mash: Boil the celeriac 15-20 minutes and the potatoes 10-12 in separate pans, then drain and dry them together over the heat. Mash with the butter, cream, and mustard, then season with salt and white pepper.
8. Roast the beetroot and serve: Toss the beetroot in the thyme, vinegar, oil, and honey, then roast at 220°C for 15 minutes until sticky. Lift the rings off the pies with a fish slice, then plate with the mash, the beetroot, and a small jug of gravy.

FAQs

Why Leicestershire ale and Stilton together?

The pie comes from the Leicestershire leg of their Food Tour of Britain, where each county’s dish showcases its own produce. Stilton can only legally be made in three counties, and Leicestershire is one, so the cheese and the local pale ale belong together here.

That back story is also why the recipe feels like restaurant food, since the series was about doing each county’s larder justice.

Does the Stilton make the pie taste strongly of blue cheese?

Less than you would expect, because 75g melts through a kilo of beef as seasoning rather than a headline flavour. It sharpens and deepens the ale gravy the way a spoon of mustard might, so cheese sceptics usually finish their pie happily.

Getting that gentle effect depends on timing though, since boiling blue cheese turns it grainy and bitter. Stir it in off the heat, and it melts creamy instead.

Can I make this as one big family pie instead?

The chefs’ rings make restaurant-style individual pies, but the filling bakes just as happily in one dish under a single lid. Use a 1.2-litre pie dish and give it closer to 30 minutes.

If you want that big shared pie without the cheese, their steak and ale pie is the family-sized cousin, built on the same beef-in-ale idea.

Why marinate the beef in ale before cooking?

The overnight ale soak does the early flavour work, since the beef drinks in the hops, garlic, thyme, and peppercorns before heat ever touches it. The strained marinade then becomes the simmering liquid, so nothing is wasted.

It is a step their other pies skip, which is partly why this one eats like something from a good pub kitchen. Mushroom lovers should note the 100g of chestnut mushrooms in here too, while their steak and mushroom pie makes them the whole point.

Can I do any of this in a slow cooker or ahead of time?

There is no slow cooker version of this recipe, but the 1½-hour simmer runs happily in one on low for 6-7 hours before the Stilton goes in. The filling, the pastry, and even the mash all hold overnight in the fridge, so only the baking and beetroot need doing on the day.

The shallots-and-booze braise underneath all this is a classic French build, so if that base appeals on its own, their beef bourguignon is the wine version without a pastry lid.