Gluten Free Steak And Ale Pie Recipes

GLUTEN FREE STEAK AND ALE PIE

Steps:

• Start by making a batch of my gluten free shortcrust pastry and then place in the refrigerator to chill.
• Finely chop the celery. Peel and finely chop the onion. Halve the carrots longways and then cut into chunks. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Roughly chop the mushrooms into chunks.
• Add the beef shin chunks to a large bowl, add the gluten free flour and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss until the beef is completely coated in the flour.
• Add half of the butter to a large, deep skillet and heat on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef chunks and stir fry until browned on all sides. Remove the beef chunks from the pan and into a bowl. Pour a small dash of the ale into the pan, swill around and scrape the bottom, and then pour juices into the bowl with the beef.
• Melt the rest of the butter in the same pan on a medium heat, then add the vegetables. Fry for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the beef and juices back to the pan.
• Pour in the beef stock and ale, then add the tomato puree, fresh thyme and dried rosemary. Stir well.
• Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and place a lid on the pan. Cook for 90 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken nicely.
• Remove the filling from the heat and set to one side. Ideally, leave this for at least an hour or two to cool completely (or overnight in the fridge) - though you can press on with making the pies if you wish.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 200'C / Fan 180'C / Gas Mark 6.
• Break off a quarter of the pastry, dust the work surface with gluten free flour and roll until it around 4mm thick. Lay the pastry over the first pie dish and gently press it into the dish and over the lip.
• Trim the excess (set this to one side for the lids) and prick the bottom of the pie with a fork. Repeat until all four pie dishes are lined with pastry.
• Spoon the cooled pie filling equally between the four pie dishes.
• Ball the leftover pastry remnants together, then break off a quarter and roll out to around 4mm thick, so that it is just larger than the diameter of the pie top.
• Brush the lip of the pie crust with a beaten egg, then gently lay the rolled-out pastry over the top. Press the edges together with your fingers and trim with a knife. Then use a fork to press them together.
• Repeat this for all four pies. When done, cut a slit in the top of each pie (to vent steam, so it doesn't explode!) then brush the tops with the beaten egg.
• Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden on top and the pie filling is bubbling. Serve straight away.

NEXT LEVEL STEAK & ALE PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large casserole dish and gently fry the bacon for 5 mins until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan, brown the beef well in batches for 5-8 mins, adding a drizzle more oil if you need to, then set aside.
• Add the onions and carrots to the pan and cook on a low heat for 5 mins. Stir in the flour, then add the tomato purée, vinegar and miso, if using. Tip the beef and bacon, along with any juices, back into the pan and give it all a good stir. Pour in the ale and stock, and nestle in the thyme stalks and bay. Season generously and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for about 2 hrs or until the meat is really tender. Leave everything to cool slightly, then strain off about half the braising liquid into another container. Leave to cool completely. Can be made up to two days ahead and kept chilled in the fridge - the pie will be better if the filling is fridge-cold when added. Can also be frozen for up to three months.
• To make the pastry, mix the flour, mustard powder, lard and butter with a generous pinch of sea salt until completely combined, then gradually add up to 250ml ice-cold water to make a soft dough. This can be done in a food processor if you prefer. Knead the thyme leaves into the pastry, then cover and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hr. Can be made up to two days ahead and kept chilled, or frozen for up to a month.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and put a baking tray in the oven. Heavily butter a 26-28cm pie dish and dust well with flour. Cut off a third of the pastry and set aside. Roll out the remaining pastry to a thick round that will easily line the pie dish with an overhang, then line the tin. Tip in the beef mixture. You want the filling to be slightly higher than the rim of the dish. Brush the edges with egg yolk. Roll out the remaining pastry to a thick round, big enough to cover the pie, then lift onto the pie dish. Trim the edges, crimp together, then re-roll the trimmings and cut into decorative shapes, such as leaves. Brush the top with more yolk. Make a hole in the centre of the pie with a knife, and put it on the hot baking tray.
• Bake for 20 mins, remove, brush again with yolk, scatter with sea salt and bake for 20-25 mins until golden. Leave to rest for 10 mins while you heat up the extra gravy.