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New Year Steak Pie

Enjoy the delicious tradition of the New Year Scottish steak pie, which dates back hundreds of years. This classic dish is filled with tasty stewing steak in a rich gravy with a puff pastry lid for a hearty meal to celebrate Hogmanay or New Year's Day.
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Recipe by

Campbells

3 hrs

Moderate

Serves 4-6

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Ingredients

For the pie

  • 1kg stewing steak, cut into cubes
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 25g butter
  • 25g flour
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2-3 beef stock cubes added to at least 1 litre of hot water
  • A dash of Worcestershire Sauce
  • A squeeze of tomato sauce
  • A squeeze of brown sauce
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the pastry

  • 225g/8oz ready-rolled puff pastry
  • 1 egg, beaten

Method

  • Step 1 : Dust the Meat

    Dust the cubed steak with the seasoned flour.

  • Step 2 : Cook the Diced Beef

    Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan and fry the meat in batches (not too much at a time), stirring frequently, until browned on all sides. Take out and drain on kitchen paper.

  • Step 3 : Fry Onions

    Add the onions and butter to the pan and fry for about 10 minutes.

  • Step 4 : Return Meat

    Return the meat to the pan and add the stock and sauces.

  • Step 5 : Reduce the Heat

    Reduce the heat and simmer gently for an hour and a half or until the meat is tender. Add more water if you think there is not going to be enough gravy for both the pie and to be served on the side. You can also put the meat mixture in the oven at 160C/140C(fan)/Gas Mark 3 for about 2 hours.

  • Step 6 : Preheat Oven

    Preheat the oven to 200°C

  • Step 7 : Add to Ovenproof Dish

    Transfer the meat mixture to an ovenproof dish, making sure that the meat has enough gravy to cover it, but so that the pieces are not swimming in it. The rest of the leftover sauce is to be served separately as gravy.

  • Step 8 : Add pastry

    Line the rim of the dish with a thin strip of pastry, then brush with the egg wash. Cover the pie with the rest of the pastry, pressing down so that the edges seal and trim. With the trimmings of the pastry, you can decorate the pie with leaves or the numbers of the New Year! Make a few holes in the centre of the pie by pricking with a fork (this lets the steam escape and stops the pastry getting too soggy), then brush with more beaten egg.

  • Step 9 : Put in oven

    Transfer to the oven and cook for about an hour. If the pastry gets too brown, cover it with foil. Serve hot and with extra gravy on the side.

    Why is steak pie a tradition at New Year in Scotland?

    Steak pie became popular in Scotland as a New Year’s dinner because it traditionally wasn’t considered a holiday. To celebrate and save time cooking, families would buy steak pies from their local butchers. Sometimes, people would cook the filling themselves and take them to be topped and cooked by the butchers too.

    In the modern day, many steak pies are still bought for New Year, especially in Scotland. But people also like to try their hands at cooking their own pies.

    What to serve with New Year steak pie?

    You can enjoy a New Year steak pie on its own, with chips or tatties, or with some simple veg like carrots, broccoli or cabbage.