Beef Pie with Crust (Printable version)
Tender beef and vegetables slow-cooked in rich gravy, encased in a flaky golden crust.
# What you'll need:
→ Filling
01 - 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
03 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
04 - 1 large onion, diced
05 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 cup beef stock
09 - 1 cup red wine
10 - 1 tbsp tomato paste
11 - 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
12 - 1 tsp dried thyme
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Crust
15 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
16 - 1 tsp salt
17 - 1 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
18 - 6 to 8 tbsp ice water
19 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toss beef cubes with flour, salt, and pepper.
02 - Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery; cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute.
04 - Return beef to pot. Stir in tomato paste, then add red wine, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf.
05 - Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 1.5 hours until beef is tender and sauce thickens. Remove bay leaf and cool slightly.
06 - Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Rub in cold butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water until dough forms. Divide into two discs, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
07 - Roll one dough disc on a floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Place in dish and trim edges.
08 - Spoon cooled filling into crust. Roll out second dough disc, cover filling, seal and crimp edges, and cut slits to vent.
09 - Brush the top crust with beaten egg to enhance browning.
10 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until crust is golden brown.
11 - Allow the pie to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The filling comes together in one pot while you sip tea, then the pie does most of the work in the oven.
- That moment when you crack into the golden crust and the gravy steams up is genuinely magical every single time.
- Leftovers, if you have them, taste even better the next day when the flavors have settled and deepened.
02 -
- If the crust browns too quickly while the filling heats through, cover the edges loosely with foil to protect them—a beautiful crust that's burnt is worse than one that's hidden partway through baking.
- The filling must cool before assembly, or the heat will begin melting the dough and creating a tough, dense crust instead of a tender flaky one.
- Don't skip the resting time after baking; it sounds small, but those ten minutes are when the gravy finishes setting and becomes sliceable instead of runny.
03 -
- Brown the beef in a hot pot without moving it around too much—let each piece sit and develop color, which is where the deep savory flavor comes from.
- If your gravy seems thin after simmering, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir it in during the last few minutes of cooking.