Steak and Ale Pie
- michel1492
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
“Of good boef and ale y-sodden in a coffyn of paste.”
I. Whence It Came: A Medieval Foundation
“Take fayre beof and smyte hit in gobettes…”
So begins one of several beef preparations recorded in The Forme of Cury, compiled circa 1390 by the master cooks of King Richard II.
While it does not list a recipe titled “steak and ale pie,” it includes numerous preparations of beef stewed with ale or wine, thickened, and enclosed in pastry. The structure is unmistakable.
A simplified translated excerpt from a 14th-century beef preparation reads:
“Take beef and cut it in pieces, and seethe it in good broth. Add onions minced and powdered pepper. Take ale and pour thereto, and let it boil well. Lay it in a coffin of paste and bake it.”
This is the skeleton of steak and ale pie.
Let us pause here.
The word "coffin" did not mean "casket." It meant "basket" or "container." Medieval pastry was thick and structural. Often it was not eaten. It served as a cooking chamber, preserving moisture and flavor.
Ale was not decorative. It was necessary. It tenderized older animals and provided depth in a world without refrigeration.
The technique was practical, not romantic.
II. Tudor Refinement and the Love of Spice
By the 17th century, English pies grew more complex. In The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May describes beef pies seasoned with pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and herbs.
Spice in savory English cookery was common.
This is why warm notes such as nutmeg or mustard are not modern intrusions. They are historical continuities.
For readers who wish to explore these texts further:
• The Forme of Cury Edited by Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Butler ISBN 9780198117773
• The Accomplisht Cook Modern edition ISBN 9781903018415
For a scholarly overview of medieval English cookery:
• Pleyn Delit ISBN 9780802067845
III. Of Boef and Collagen: Choosing the Right Cut
Now we move from manuscript to market.
If thou usest tenderloin, thou hast erred.
Steak and ale pie demands collagen-rich cuts:
• Chuck roast
• Beef shin
• Bottom round
• Brisket (flat)
Why?
Because slow heat transforms connective tissue into gelatin. That gelatin thickens the gravy naturally and gives body to the pie. If you use lean steak, the sauce will be thin and the meat dry.
Medieval cooks understood this instinctively. They used older animals and tougher muscles. Long simmering was necessity.
We now choose these cuts intentionally.
IV. Making It Cost-Wise
This dish was born of thrift.
To keep it budget friendly:
• Buy whole chuck roast rather than pre-cut stew meat
• Cut large 1½ inch cubes yourself
• Use onions generously
Use one standard bottle of brown ale
• Use a quality store-bought crust for ease
Prudence and practicality were medieval virtues.
They remain modern ones.
Modern Heritage Steak and Ale Pie
(Made Easy with Store-Bought Crust) Serves 6
Ingredients
For the Filling
• 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1½ inch cubes (900 g)
• 2 tablespoons flour (16 g)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (6 g)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (2 g)
• 2 tablespoons oil (30 ml)
• 2 large yellow onions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Baden-Württemberg seasoning (9 g)
• 12 ounces brown ale (355 ml)
• 1 cup beef stock (240 ml)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
For the Crust
• 1 refrigerated pie crust (top crust only)
• 1 egg, beaten
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Toss beef with flour, salt, and pepper.
Heat oil in Dutch oven. Brown beef in batches. Remove.
Cook onions until golden. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Stir in Baden-Württemberg seasoning and thyme.
Return beef. Add ale and stock. Bring to simmer.
Cover and cook 1½ to 2 hours until tender and sauce thickened.
Transfer filling to baking dish.
Lay crust over top. Crimp edges. Cut vents.
Brush with egg.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes until golden.
Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Why Baden-Württemberg Belongs Here
Mustard powder, rosemary, thyme, bay, nutmeg.
These are historically coherent.
Mustard was widely used in medieval England. Nutmeg and pepper appear in Tudor meat pies. Thyme and rosemary ground the dish in European herb tradition.
This is not reinvention.
It is continuation.
Choosing the Right Ale
Ale shapes the gravy.
Avoid modern citrus-forward IPAs. Hops will turn bitter when reduced.
Choose:
• English brown ale
• English bitter
• Mild ale
What happens in the pot:
• Malt adds sweetness
• Hops add structure
• Alcohol extracts flavor
• Reduction creates depth
The ale is not decoration. It is architecture.
Final Reflection
“Take good boef, and y-sodden it well in ale…”
Across centuries, the technique remains.
Slow cooking. Secondary cuts. Encased steam. Layered flavor.
Steak and ale pie is not merely pub comfort.
It is medieval practicality, Tudor spice, Victorian thrift, and modern accessibility in one dish.
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