Steak and Ale Pie

Ingredients

• 1 package (2 crusts) refrigerated pie dough
• 2 lbs beef chuck, cubed and browned
• 1 diced onion, 2 diced carrots, 1 cup brown ale (in place of half the broth)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken or beef broth
• 1/2 cup milk or cream
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onion, celery, and any raw protein until softened and lightly browned.
3. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the broth and milk until smooth.
4. Add the remaining protein and vegetables, thyme, salt, and pepper, and simmer 8–10 minutes until thickened and the vegetables are tender.
5. Pour the filling into a pie dish or deep baking dish, fit the top crust over it, crimp the edges, and cut a few vents.
6. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles through the vents.
7. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

The Tale of Steak and Ale Pie

Story updated September 18, 2026

Meat pies have been part of English cooking since at least the 12th century, when a thick, sturdy pastry known as a "coffyn" served mainly as a cooking and storage vessel rather than something meant to be eaten itself. The specific pairing of beef with ale is a later refinement: as English brewing expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries and ale became the everyday drink of ordinary working people, cooks began braising beef in it to make a rich, dark gravy suited to a pie filling. Steak and ale pie as a named pub dish really came into its own in the 19th century, growing up alongside the great boom of British public houses, where a hearty pie and a pint of local ale were a natural, affordable pairing for laborers. There's no single inventor or founding pub credited with the dish; it developed collectively, the way most pub food does, but it has become one of the defining dishes of British pub culture.