I created an Aussie style meat pie that hides a deeply flavored beef stew in a crispy base under a golden pastry lid, my take on a Traditional Meat Pie.
My Family Meat Pie looks simple, but it sneaks up on you. It’s an Aussie style pie with a crispy base, a gorgeous, deep flavored beef stew filling and a golden, crispy pastry lid, and I love how the contrast plays out.
I lean on tender beef chuck and sweet onions to give the filling that slow cooked heft, and somehow the pastry stays flaky while the inside keeps getting better, even after a day. It nods to Traditional Meat Pie heritage yet flirts with Beef Onion Pie vibes, so every slice feels familiar but also kinda unexpected.
Ingredients
- Beef chuck: High in protein and iron, gives meaty depth and rich comforting bite.
- Onions: Adds sweetness and savory base, brings fibre and gentle caramelised flavour.
- Carrots: Natural sweetness, adds colour and fibre, balances rich savoury juices.
- Celery: Crunchy aromatic, low calorie, gives freshness and subtle herb bitterness.
- Tomato paste: Concentrated umami and acidity, deepens flavour and slightly sweetens.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds tangy, savory kick with umami and a hint of sweetness.
- Butter: Rich fat for silky mouthfeel, makes pastry and filling more indulgent.
- Plain flour: Provides structure for pastry and thickens filling, mostly carbs for energy.
Ingredient Quantities
- For the filling
- 1.2 kg beef chuck, trimmed
- 45 g plain flour (about 1/3 cup)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 2 large onions (about 300 g)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 medium carrots (about 200 g)
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 150 ml red wine (optional)
- 600 ml beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the pastry and finish
- 300 g plain flour
- 200 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 to 4 tbsp ice cold water
- 1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry (about 320 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp milk or water
- extra plain flour for dusting
How to Make this
1. Cut the beef chuck into
2.5 to 3 cm cubes, toss with 45 g plain flour, a good pinch of salt and black pepper so it’s evenly coated.
2. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 25 g unsalted butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches so it gets a good crust, 3 to 4 minutes each batch, transfer to a plate and don’t overcrowd the pan.
3. Turn the heat to medium, add the chopped 2 large onions, 3 crushed garlic cloves, diced 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks to the same pot and cook until soft and starting to colour, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and fry for a minute.
4. If using, pour in 150 ml red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits, let it reduce by half. Return the beef to the pot, add 600 ml beef stock, 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs thyme (or 1 tsp dried), and 1 tsp soft brown sugar. Bring to a simmer.
5. Partly cover and simmer gently for 2 to
2.5 hours until the beef is very tender and the sauce is deep and reduced. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix 1 tbsp cornflour with a little cold water to make a slurry, stir into the simmering stew and cook a few minutes until thickened. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Let the filling cool completely, it firms up and makes assembly easier.
6. While the stew cools make the base pastry: rub 200 g cold cubed unsalted butter into 300 g plain flour and 1 tsp salt with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea sized bits of butter. Sprinkle 3 to 4 tbsp ice cold water, mix until it just comes together into a dough, don’t overwork it. Form into a disk, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 200°C (about 400°F). Roll the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit a deep 23 to 25 cm pie dish with a bit overhang. Line the dish, trim and chill 10 to 15 minutes. Prick the base, line with baking paper and baking beans or rice then blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove beans and paper and bake another 5 minutes so the base is dry and crisp.
8. Spoon the cooled beef filling into the pre-baked shell. Roll out the ready rolled puff pastry sheet slightly to fit as a lid, place over the filling, trim and crimp the edges to seal. Cut a few vents in the top so steam can escape.
9. Beat 1 large egg with 1 tbsp milk or water and brush over the puff pastry. Bake at 200°C for 25 to 35 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving so it slices neater.
10. Tips: brown meat in batches, chill pastry well, cooling the filling overnight prevents a soggy base. Dust your bench with extra plain flour when rolling and if the edges brown too fast, tent loosely with foil.
Equipment Needed
1. Large heavy pot or Dutch oven for browning and simmering
2. Chef’s knife
3. Sturdy cutting board
4. Mixing bowls (one for tossing the beef, one for the pastry)
5. Measuring scales or cups and spoons
6. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
7. Rolling pin and bench scraper (for trimming the pastry)
8. 23 to 25 cm deep pie dish or tart tin
9. Baking parchment plus baking beans or rice for blind baking
10. Pastry brush and small whisk for the egg wash, plus oven mitts for safety
FAQ
Family Meat Pie Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Beef chuck (1.2 kg)
- Lamb shoulder, same weight, cooks the same and gives a richer flavour, you might like rosemary with it.
- Pork shoulder, same weight, sweeter profile so add a splash of cider or extra Worcestershire.
- Beef brisket, same weight, similar texture after a long braise, trim any excess fat first.
- Vegetarian option: about 800 g mixed mushrooms plus 400 g cooked brown lentils, sauté and braise, reduce stock a bit so it isn’t too wet.
- Red wine (150 ml, optional)
- Extra beef stock, 150 ml, for a no alcohol version, add 1 tbsp Worcestershire or 1 tbsp red wine vinegar for brightness.
- Unsweetened cranberry or pomegranate juice, 150 ml, gives fruity depth without alcohol.
- Grape juice diluted with a splash of vinegar, 150 ml juice + 1 tsp vinegar, if you want fruitiness plus acidity.
- Unsalted butter (25 g in filling, 200 g for pastry)
- Salted butter, same amounts, but cut back on added salt in the recipe.
- Vegetable shortening or block lard for the pastry, same weight, makes a flakier crust though flavour will differ.
- Olive oil in the filling, use about 1 tbsp less than the butter called for, ok for sautéeing but changes mouthfeel.
- Ready rolled puff pastry sheet (about 320 g)
- Homemade shortcrust using the 300 g flour + 200 g butter ratio, roll out a bit thicker for a sturdier lid.
- Frozen block puff pastry, thaw and roll to size, same weight and works fine if you cant find ready rolled.
- Use a shortcrust lid only and keep a puff pastry base, or use all shortcrust if you want a less flaky more rustic pie.
Pro Tips
– Pat the beef dry with paper towels and brown it in proper batches. If you crowd the pan the meat will steam instead of getting a crust, and that crust is where most of the stew flavor comes from. Let the pan get hot between batches so you get good browning.
– Cool the filling completely, ideally overnight, then skim off any excess fat before assembling. The filling firms up when cold so it’s easier to handle and far less likely to make the pastry soggy. If your sauce seems too thin after cooling, loosen a bit of slurry and warm gently to finish it.
– Keep the shortcrust very cold and don’t overwork it. Work quickly, use just enough ice water to bring it together, chill the lined tin before blind baking, and dust liberally with flour when rolling. A properly dry, blind baked base is the single best defence against a soggy bottom.
– Vent the top well and egg wash for color, but watch the edges. If the rim is getting too dark before the top is done, loosely tent the pie with foil so the center can keep cooking without burning the crust. Let the pie rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing so the filling settles and you get cleaner slices.
Family Meat Pie Recipe
I created an Aussie style meat pie that hides a deeply flavored beef stew in a crispy base under a golden pastry lid, my take on a Traditional Meat Pie.
8
servings
1003
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large heavy pot or Dutch oven for browning and simmering
2. Chef’s knife
3. Sturdy cutting board
4. Mixing bowls (one for tossing the beef, one for the pastry)
5. Measuring scales or cups and spoons
6. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
7. Rolling pin and bench scraper (for trimming the pastry)
8. 23 to 25 cm deep pie dish or tart tin
9. Baking parchment plus baking beans or rice for blind baking
10. Pastry brush and small whisk for the egg wash, plus oven mitts for safety
Ingredients
-
For the filling
-
1.2 kg beef chuck, trimmed
-
45 g plain flour (about 1/3 cup)
-
2 tbsp vegetable oil
-
25 g unsalted butter
-
2 large onions (about 300 g)
-
3 garlic cloves
-
2 medium carrots (about 200 g)
-
2 celery stalks
-
2 tbsp tomato paste
-
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-
150 ml red wine (optional)
-
600 ml beef stock
-
2 bay leaves
-
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
-
1 tsp soft brown sugar
-
1 tbsp cornflour
-
salt and freshly ground black pepper
-
For the pastry and finish
-
300 g plain flour
-
200 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
-
1 tsp salt
-
3 to 4 tbsp ice cold water
-
1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry (about 320 g)
-
1 large egg
-
1 tbsp milk or water
-
extra plain flour for dusting
Directions
- Cut the beef chuck into
- 5 to 3 cm cubes, toss with 45 g plain flour, a good pinch of salt and black pepper so it's evenly coated.
- Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 25 g unsalted butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches so it gets a good crust, 3 to 4 minutes each batch, transfer to a plate and don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Turn the heat to medium, add the chopped 2 large onions, 3 crushed garlic cloves, diced 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks to the same pot and cook until soft and starting to colour, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and fry for a minute.
- If using, pour in 150 ml red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits, let it reduce by half. Return the beef to the pot, add 600 ml beef stock, 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs thyme (or 1 tsp dried), and 1 tsp soft brown sugar. Bring to a simmer.
- Partly cover and simmer gently for 2 to
- 5 hours until the beef is very tender and the sauce is deep and reduced. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix 1 tbsp cornflour with a little cold water to make a slurry, stir into the simmering stew and cook a few minutes until thickened. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Let the filling cool completely, it firms up and makes assembly easier.
- While the stew cools make the base pastry: rub 200 g cold cubed unsalted butter into 300 g plain flour and 1 tsp salt with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea sized bits of butter. Sprinkle 3 to 4 tbsp ice cold water, mix until it just comes together into a dough, don’t overwork it. Form into a disk, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°C (about 400°F). Roll the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit a deep 23 to 25 cm pie dish with a bit overhang. Line the dish, trim and chill 10 to 15 minutes. Prick the base, line with baking paper and baking beans or rice then blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove beans and paper and bake another 5 minutes so the base is dry and crisp.
- Spoon the cooled beef filling into the pre-baked shell. Roll out the ready rolled puff pastry sheet slightly to fit as a lid, place over the filling, trim and crimp the edges to seal. Cut a few vents in the top so steam can escape.
- Beat 1 large egg with 1 tbsp milk or water and brush over the puff pastry. Bake at 200°C for 25 to 35 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving so it slices neater.
- Tips: brown meat in batches, chill pastry well, cooling the filling overnight prevents a soggy base. Dust your bench with extra plain flour when rolling and if the edges brown too fast, tent loosely with foil.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 449g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 1003kcal
- Fat: 81.6g
- Saturated Fat: 32.5g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Polyunsaturated: 21.6g
- Monounsaturated: 27.5g
- Cholesterol: 204mg
- Sodium: 500mg
- Potassium: 438mg
- Carbohydrates: 52.8g
- Fiber: 2.8g
- Sugar: 6.6g
- Protein: 46.5g
- Vitamin A: 4200IU
- Vitamin C: 4.9mg
- Calcium: 62mg
- Iron: 4.8mg