Steak and 'The King of Cheeses' Pie

Name: Steak and 'The King of Cheeses' Pie
Total time: 32400 s
Yield: 4 individual pies
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1.0 – 1.2 kg beef brisket; 2 tbsp olive oil; Leftover vege – I used a handful of brussel sprouts, a large leek, carrots, parsnips, celery and some odd pieces of courgettes but use whatever you have; 4 cloves garlic; 1 litre beef stock; 250 ml wine, preferably red; few splooshes Worcestershire sauce; 1 tbsp tomato puree; bouquet garni – I used whatever was still alive under the snow in the garden – sage, parsley, thyme and bay; few grinds of sea salt; few grinds of black pepper; 150 g stilton; Pastry; 400 g plain flour; 2 tsp English mustard; 1/2 tsp salt; 100 g lard, cut into cubes; 100 g butter, cut into cubes; 2 eggs (1 for the pastry and 1 for the egg wash)

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well ~ Virginia Wolff. She believed that eating well can improve one’s mood and eating poorly can negatively impact one’s body. To quote Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, ‘Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es’ (tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are).

Well I want to know what I eat so my New Year’s Resolution is to only eat ingredients I can pronounce and avoid processed food. Shop bought pastry can contain sugar, palm/canola oils, mono and diglycerides of fatty acids and bizarrely alcohol so this is a good place to start.

Pies are an iconic part of British cuisine, loved for their comforting flavours and satisfying fillings. Steak and Stilton is a classic that combines the rich, pungent flavour of Stilton cheese with the savoury taste of succulent steak.

In 1724 Daniel Defoe commented in his ‘Tour through the villages of England & Wales’ of Stilton being ‘famous for cheese’ and referred to the cheese as ‘English parmesan’. He may have written a good book or two but this comment is truly unforgiveable!

Stilton is nothing like parmesan. It is known as the ‘king of cheeses’ made from whole milk and cream which sets it apart from most other cheeses made at that time. Bizarrely stilton cheese cannot be made in the village of Stilton which gave the cheese its name because it is not in any of the three permitted counties where it can be made – that’s Britishness for you!#NewYear2025

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

Saved

Ingredients

8 - 9 hours

4 individual pies

1.0– 1.2 kg beef brisket
2 tbspolive oil
Leftover vege – I used a handful of brussel sprouts, a large leek, carrots, parsnips, celery and some odd pieces of courgettes but use whatever you have
4 clovesgarlic
1 litrebeef stock
250 mlwine, preferably red
few splooshes Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsptomato puree
bouquet garni – I used whatever was still alive under the snow in the garden – sage, parsley, thyme and bay
few grinds of sea salt
few grinds of black pepper
150 gstilton
Pastry
400 gplain flour
2 tspEnglish mustard
1/2 tspsalt
100 glard, cut into cubes
100 gbutter, cut into cubes
2eggs (1 for the pastry and 1 for the egg wash)

Saved

Steps

8 - 9 hours

1

Pie filling: Cut the brisket into 3 to 4 pieces and season. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the brisket pieces. Brown on all sides until golden and crusty then transfer the chunks into a large casserole or slow cooker. Add the bouquet garni.
2

Roughly chop the vege and tip into the skillet along with the garlic cloves. Cook for a few minutes then add to the meat in the casserole dish. Add the stock and wine to the skillet scraping any pieces off the bottom. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and bring to the boil then pour over the meat and vegetables in the casserole. Season with salt and pepper.
3

Cover and simmer on the stove top or braise in the oven at 140 degrees C for 2 ½ to 3 hours at 140 degrees C fan or cook in a slow cooker for 7 – 7 ½ hours until the meat is tender. Leave to cool.
4

Pastry: Put the flour, 1 ½ tsp of the mustard powder, salt, lard and butter in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add 1 of the eggs and pulse again. If it hasn’t come together add a tsp of cold water at a time until it forms a short pastry. Bring together quickly into a ball, then wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
5

Pie: Brush the inside of 4 small pie tins with butter or oil. Flour a board and sprinkle with some of the mustard powder. Divide the pastry into 6. Roll out each of 4 pastry balls until large enough to cover the inside of each of the pie tins. The pastry will be very short so may break but just piece it together it will be fine. Put it in the fridge for half an hour to firm up.
6

Roughly chop the meat and cover in the gravy from the pot. Let it soak for a few minutes then transfer it into the pie tins.

Roll out the remaining pastry balls and cut out circles just large enough to fit the tops of all the pies. Fill ¾ full with the steak and crumble the cheese on top. Beat the egg and brush the edges of the pie dish, drape the pastry over, trim the excess and pinch around the edges or use a fork to seal.
7

Cut a hole or prick with a fork the centre of each pie and brush the pastry tops all over with the beaten egg. Chill for about 30 mins. Heat the oven to 180 degrees C fan. Brush the tops of the pies with the remaining beaten egg then bake for 35 – 40 minutes until the pastry is golden. Reduce down the remaining gravy and serve with the vege.