Steak and Stilton Pie (Nottinghamshire Pie)

Steak and stilton pie is a crowd-pleasing and easy to assemble recipe that is packed full of exciting flavours. Also known as Nottinghamshire pie, this potato topped pie combines beef steak with leeks and Blue Stilton cheese to create a particularly tasty and satisfying dish that it would be a crime to miss out on.

This recipe for steak and stilton pie pulls at my heartstrings because it originates from my home county of Nottinghamshire – it’s known there as Nottinghamshire pie.

Let me tell you, this is no ordinary meat pie. It’s packed full of flavour and, rather unusually, what you’ll find under that golden bonnet of mashed potato are chunks of beef rather than minced meat. That’s more than fantastic in my opinion.

I’m delighted to have discovered this steak and stilton pie recipe recently and to be putting it into the spotlight today. It’s an absolute gem. Nottinghamshire pie is my third entry to my collection of recipes originating from the East and West Midlands. Why not try Buxton pudding or Northamptonshire pudding for dessert? They’re also from the Midlands.

What is Nottinghamshire pie?

Nottinghamshire pie was created in 2008 by a local chef – Roy Wood. It capitalises on ingredients that are grown or produced in the locality – potatoes, leeks and Blue Stilton cheese.

At the heart of this savoury pie is plenty of chunky beef that has been slow-cooked with the leeks until tender. There’s also a little mustard in the mix, which gives a wonderful edginess to the overall flavour. It’s then topped with creamy mashed potatoes and plenty of tangy Blue Stilton cheese.

This pie was first served at The Wagon and Horses pub in Halam, Southwell – just 6 miles south of where I grew up! (This explains why I’m exceptionally excited about sharing this recipe.)

Why this recipe is worth making

There are so many reasons why this steak and stilton pie is worth rustling up in your kitchen:

• It’s very easy – the oven does all the hard work
• It’s unique and certainly makes a change from the more typical cottage pie
• The recipe is easy to scale up or down to feed extra or fewer people
• There’s the option of making one large pie or 4 individual servings
• And it’s a fantastic recipe to make in advance and slide into the oven when required
• It’s a savoury recipe that calls for no onion so it’s great for anybody who cannot tolerate onions

But if you are in the mood for a more typical minced beef pie try this one. Or, if you fancy something gamey, how about my venison and mushroom pie?

Ingredients notes

The best beef to use for this steak and stilton pie recipe is braising steak (also called stewing steak or chuck steak). This cut comes from the shoulder of the cow and has plenty of connective tissue (collagen) that breaks down and becomes really tender over a prolonged cooking time.

Blue Stilton cheese is produced only within the East Midlands – in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to be precise. If you can, opt for a Nottinghamshire produced Stilton to be totally authentic for this Nottinghamshire pie! If you cannot get hold of Stilton cheese, choose an alternative blue cheese that is hard in texture and has a robust taste. Avoid any cheese that is soft or mild.

Nottinghamshire has a long history of farming and leeks have always been a common crop grown in this county. They are therefore an integral part of this recipe and should not be substituted out. The leeks break down as the meat cooks over time and help impart flavour and a silky texture that wraps itself around the beef. Note that the recipe calls for plenty of leeks but it is made without onion.

Wholegrain mustard is essential to create an impressive flavour profile in this recipe. The mustard really enhances the meaty flavour in this dish without being overpowering (I think it’s fantastic and I’m not a huge fan of mustard typically). It serves to pull together the other flavours and add an extra dimension to the recipe. Leave it out at your peril.

It’s absolutely fine to use beef stock made from a stock cube but if you have fresh stock, go for it.

Step-by-step instructions

The original recipe for this steak and stilton pie cooks the meat on the hob. However, I much prefer cooking braising steak in the oven because I find it doesn’t stick to the pot so much as it tends to do on the stovetop. The oven-cooked method is the one I recommend:

1. Chop the braising steak into small pieces (about 1.5cm cubes), toss in the flour and fry in batches until brown all over. Set aside
2. Fry the leeks until soft
3. Add the meat back into the pot along with the mustard, seasoning, stock and thyme
4. Cook for around 2 hours until the meat is tender, stirring halfway through
5. Peel and chop the potatoes, then boil until soft
6. Mash, adding in butter, seasoning and milk (if necessary)
7. Spoon the cooked meat into an ovenproof pie dish and top with the mash
8. Sprinkle crumbled Blue Stilton cheese and breadcrumbs over the top
9. Bake for 30 minutes until golden

Cooking the meat on the stovetop

If you prefer to stick with tradition and cook the steak and stilton pie filling on the stovetop simply follow steps 1-3 above, then let cook on low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes to reduce the risk of the meat sticking to the bottom of the pan. Much more stock will likely be needed, so keep an additional 300ml in reserve and top up as necessary.

Expert tips

• Don’t rush the cooking of the meat. Two hours is the minimum it needs to cook for. Test a piece after this time and if it is still a little tough cook for another half hour or so
• Add more stock as necessary to stop the pie filling from becoming too dry
• The original recipe is much more saucy, so feel free to make the filling as loose as you like by adding in more stock than is listed in the recipe card until you are happy with the consistency
• Make the mash when the meat is nearly cooked. It’s much easier to spread hot mash over the pie filling than it is to spread cold mash over it
• You may need to add a splash of milk to your mash if it seems dry. All potatoes vary and some do need additional liquid added to them to turn them creamy and spreadable, whilst others do not
• Upgrade the look of this steak and stilton pie by piping the mash onto the top for a fancier finish. Use a wide piping nozzle to do this
• Season this recipe cautiously. There’s plenty of flavour already in it so be careful not to overdo the salt

Frequently asked questions

Variations

Please believe me when I tell you that this steak and stilton pie is phenomenal just as it is. But if you did fancy making a change or two here are a few suggestions:

• Wrap that slow-cooked beef and leek filling up between crisp sheets of shortcrust pastry
• Or turn it into individual puff pastry pot pies by portioning the filling into small pie pots and topping with puff pastry
• Add some mushrooms into the filling alongside the rest of the ingredients

More classic British recipes to try out

Have you made this steak and stilton pie? Let me know how you got along by leaving a comment or rating below. And you can show me what your Nottinghamshire pie looks like on Instagram by tagging me @jane_littlesugarsnaps.

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