Minced Beef and Onion Pie

This recipe is dedicated to my Mum who served me a particularly delicious minced beef and onion pie during a recent visit.

It got me thinking about some of the foods my family loves but I rarely cook. An old-fashioned, simply but richly flavoured savoury mince pie is certainly near the top of the list of our favourites. Here’s my rendition.

Why you’ll love this pie

Forget the Pukka pies your local chip-shop might serve up, this minced beef pie has so much more going for it:

• The golden shortcrust pastry is light and crisp and the perfect partner to that mince and onion pie filling
• And it’s not just got a pastry lid – this pie has a pastry base too, with the meaty filling encased in the middle
• This recipe produces a delicious traditional English meat pie teeming with flavour thanks to the slow cooking of the onions at the start of the recipe
• It’s a crowd-pleasing savoury pie that can be paired with plenty of side dishes
• The recipe can be adapted to make individual minced beef pies

Honestly, this traditional mince and onion pie is so delicious it would make a worthy addition to celebration meals such as Christmas or Easter instead of the usual roast meats.

If you like the look of this pie, you may also be interested in my recipes for steak and stilton pie, old-fashioned sausage pie and my venison pie.

Ingredients notes

Use minced (ground) beef with around 10% fat content for the best balance between flavour and health considerations. Any higher and the filling might seem greasy but meat with 5% fat can dry out more quickly during cooking.

Garlic is optional. It’s unlikely Grandparents or Great Grandparents included it when making a minced beef and onion pie but it does enhance the flavour somewhat.

Worcestershire sauce is easy to get hold of in the UK. Made to a secret recipe, it has a meaty savoury deliciousness about it that certainly helps impart plenty of rich flavour to recipes. If you struggle to get hold of it use soy sauce in its place.

Plain (all-purpose) flour contains no raising agents so is the ideal choice for making shortcrust pastry. Do not use self-raising flour in its place.

Use real butter for the pie crust for the best flavour and texture. Baking margarine is no substitute here.

Step by step instructions

Making this minced beef pie is easy and the steps can be broken down into 3 separate stages:

1. Cook the minced beef and onion pie filling
2. Make the pastry
3. Assemble the pie and bake

1. Make the mince and onion filling

1. Dice the onion and fry in a little oil for 10-15 minutes until soft and beginning to colour. Stir frequently. Stir in minced garlic (if using)
2. Add the meat and brown
3. Sprinkle in a tablespoon of flour and mixed herbs, stir and cook for 2 minutes
4. Add salt, pepper, stock and Worcestershire sauce
5. Cook gently for 20-30 minutes, stirring several times
6. Let cool completely

2. Make the shortcrust pastry

1. Put the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir briefly
2. Cube the butter and rub it into the flour using the tips of your fingers
3. Add half the water and stir with a blunt knife, until the dough just comes together – add more water, little by little, as necessary. Aim for a soft, but not sticky dough
4. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface, knead briefly, then split in half and form into two discs. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes

3. Assemble and bake

1. Roll out one piece of pastry on a floured work surface to 2-3mm thick and use to line the pie tin. Brush the edges with a little beaten egg
2. Pile the minced beef and onion filling into the pastry case and brush the pastry edge with beaten egg
3. Roll out the remaining pastry and use to top the pie. Press the edge of the pastry to seal the pie and trim the excess pastry with a blunt knife. Use a sharp knife to make slash lines around the edge of the pie for decoration, or, if you are feeling fancy, re-roll any off-cuts of pastry and use to decorate the pie (e.g. leaves, lettering etc…)
4. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg, make a slit in the centre to allow steam to escape and bake for around 45 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden

Expert tips

• Ensure the mince and onion pie filling is cold before assembling the pie, otherwise the pastry will melt during assembly
• Make it quick and easy by using pre-made pastry from the supermakret chiller section
• For variation use puff pastry
• Get ahead: make the minced beef pie filling the day before then cool and store in the fridge until ready to assemble and bake the pie
• Use the fiilling with a mashed potato top to turn it into cottage pie
• Or go for a hybrid pie by using pastry on the base but adding mashed potato on the top of the minced beef and onion pie filling

What to serve with your pie

Minced beef pie can be quite filling because of the pastry, which is rich in butter. A serving of vegetables with a small portion of potato-based carbohydrates alongside is usually sufficient to satisfy hungry appetites. Here are a few ideas for those side dishes:

• Mushy peas
• Garden peas
• Tenderstem brocolli
• Roasted mushrooms
• Roasted root vegetables
• Fat chips
• Creamy mashed potatoes
• Boiled new potatoes
• Roast potatoes

Whatever your favourite side dishes to a slice of this minced beef and onion pie, make sure you serve a jugful of rich, thick gravy alongside.

More savoury pie recipes

Have you made this savoury mince pie? Let me know how you got along by leaving a comment or rating below. You can also show me your creation on Instagram by tagging me @jane_littlesugarsnaps.