Steak Pie | The Modern Proper (2024)

FAQs

How to thicken a steak pie filling? ›

Let your pie mixture cool for a while first. Equal parts butter & flour. Melt the butter, stir in the flour a few minutes, then add the meat/gravy mix.

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If it's beer as in a steak and ale pie the obvious answer is beer - a robust bitter or brown ale I suggest although you could use a strong Belgian ale like Orval or Chimay and if you prefer wine I've drunk old Bandol with steak pie with great success.

If the filling is too runny, lift out the meat and veg with a slotted spoon to your pie dish and boil the liquid hard to reduce. Then combine with the meat and allow to cool while you make the pastry. Preheat the oven to 190c/170c fan. Sift the flour and salt into a food processor or a mixing bowl.

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed.

One of the fool-proof ways to ensure a crisp bottom pie crust is to do what is called blind baking. This simply means that you bake the crust—either fully if you are adding a custard or cream that won't be cooked, or partially if the whole pie needs to bake—before adding the filling.

If you have made similar steak and beer stews or savory meat pies before and wondering why they taste so bitter, this is due to the type of beer in the dish. So there are some beers that you should avoid: Avoid hoppy, exceptionally bitter beers for this as the flavor will be too bitter in the end.

Beers can add rich, caramel-like flavor to the meat with minimal cooking time. One of the most effective ways to tenderize your meat is by using beer. Beer contains alpha acids and tannins that help break down fibers in meat, making it more tender and flavorful. Marinate using beer for an hour or more before grilling.

It's simple really. Wheat beers are great for chicken and seafood. If you're cooking pork, beef, and lamb, you will need ales, porters, and stouts.

Which one you use is a matter of personal preference. Cornstarch makes for a shiny, glossy filling. A little goes a long way because it has twice the gelling power of flour. Flour thickens nicely but leaves more of a matte finish.

How do you make pie filling firmer? ›

Some pie recipes thicken the filling with flour; others use cornstarch, while others still rely on tapioca.

Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture. Filling mixed with tapioca needs to rest 15 to 30 minutes before baking, for the tapioca to soften.

Cornstarch has thickening power similar to Instant ClearJel. Like flour, it lends a cloudy, semi-transparent look to filling. It can also give filling a starchy taste. For full effectiveness, make sure the pie filling is bubbling up through the crust before removing your pie from the oven.

The most common and accessible way to thicken pie filling is by using a starch.

Add Gelatin or Cornstarch

If your filling is really runny, you can add a little bit of gelatin or cornstarch to thicken it up. Gelatin is great for adding firmness, while cornstarch can thicken the mixture without making it too firm.

Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much cornstarch to thicken. To thicken hot liquids, first mix cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended.