An English Father's Day meal complete with beef and ale meat pies, chips, and English peas. This pie recipe features my buttery short crust recipe.

English Beef and Beer Pie Recipe (Perfect for Father’s Day)

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Father’s Day is on the horizon. In celebration of this special day, my children and I are making (my version) of the English classic- steak and ale pies– served with hot chips (French fries), green peas, and a pint of stout beer (not for the children of course). My beef and beer pies are crisp and flaky on the outside, but filled with a savory beef, vegetable, and beer filling on the inside. Making these warming meat pies perfect for celebrating a special dad in your life.

This is a classic English pub-inspired meal that also links back to my time in Australia. Truly, it is a rich and savory treat–ideal for acknowledging the important work of a father.

Come, read along to see how my family celebrates an English-inspired Father’s Day… in America.

Handwritten recipes in a gifted tin from England
*Craig gave me this tin from England when we were dating. Now, it is the perfect place to store my handwritten recipes.

Sweet verses Savory Pies

To my suprise…pies are not just a sweet treat! 

In America, there is a plethora of sweet pies: apple pies, pumpkin pies, key lime pies, pecan pies, French silk pies, and the list goes on and on. However, in England and Australia, the pies are often savory- and stuffed to the brim with a mouthwatering filling.

To give a bit of context, let me rewind all the way back to 2004. After graduating high school- I took a gap year in Australia. This was my first experience with a true savory pie (aside from chicken pot pie- you can see my chicken pot pie recipe here).

My first taste of an Australian, meat pie was an unforgettable experience. The pie was individual sized- handheld- and a perfect, on-the-go, food. It was filled with the most delectable, savory beef, and was topped with ketchup. Luscious beef filling reminded me of my mom’s pot roast, all mashed up, and then scooped into a crispy, flaky crust. 

What a beautiful bite. A real treat.

Fast forward, ten years later and I had the opportunity to feast on savory pies once again. This time in England. While slightly different, both pie varieties are scrumptious.

What is an English-Inspired, Beef and Beer Pie for Father's Day?

A classic savory pie in England is the Steak and Ale Pie. I decided to use my Australian experiences, as well as my experiences from my time in England- to create my own version of a “Beef and Beer” pie. 

For this recipe, I made my own short-crust pastry for the bottom of the pie. However, I did use storebought puff pastry for the top of the pie. Afterall, I do have four small children. Plus, storebought puff pastry (if made with butter), is just as delicious- in my opinion.

I pre-made the short crust and the meat filling the day before, ensuring that they both had plenty of time to chill. 

In the end, the filling was a generous portion, so more pies could have been made. I actually placed the leftover meat filling in a casserole dish and topped with only the puff pastry- as I did not have any more short crust- and this is a lovely way to serve it as well.

In my opinion, this meat filling recipe is perfect because it can be adapted quite easily to suit individual taste.

For example, if you do not like using alcohol in your cooking, you can substitute the Guinness with extra beef broth. Or you could add more Guinness for a stronger, richer taste.

You could also change out the veggies to say mushrooms or celery. 

This pie recipe does take a bit of time to prepare, so we reserve recipes like this for special occasions, ehem…Father’s Day.

Certainly, this meal is not yet on my weekly rotation. Maybe when my toddlers are a bit more self-sufficient… but until then, meat pies are a special occasion treat in our home.

How to Make Buttery Short Crust Pastry for the Perfect Father's Day Meal:

My buttery short crust pastry is added to the top of the chicken pot pie in a rustic manner.
Elizabeth

Homemade Short Crust (for Savory Dishes)

Short crust pastry is a versatile recipe that is perfect for meat pies or other savory dishes. Its tender buttery base is a wonderful addition to many pie recipes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Pastry
Cuisine: European
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 Cups AP Flour *175 grams if weighed- and otherwise, use the spoon and smooth with a knife method.
  • 6-7 Tbs Salted Butter (Frozen and Grated) *Freezing the butter beforehand allows for easier grating.
  • 4-5 Tbsp Water (Ice cold) *If more water is needed- add only one tablespoon at a time.

Method
 

  1. Freeze the salted butter. (Alternately, you can use refrigerated butter, but freezing the butter beforehand makes grating the butter an easier job. Plus, it helps the butter and the flour to better incorporate.)
  2. Use a cheese grater to carefully grate the frozen /very cold butter into a medium sized mixing bowl.
  3. Add flour to the butter and gently begin to combine the two ingredients. Folding the butter into the flour- and coating- as opposed to mashing.
  4. Add the cold water to the butter and flour mixture. Combine the ingredients until a dough is formed. Do not overmix or overhandle. Some pieces of butter will still be seen throughout the pastry dough.
  5. Line countertop with a piece of plastic wrap. Add the pastry to the plastic wrap, cover, and gently press the pastry down to make a flat square shape.
  6. Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. (Overnight is ideal).
  7. Once the dough is chilled, it is ready to be used as a bottom or top of a pie. If using as a pie top, the pastry does best if brushed with an egg wash and baked until golden brown in a preheated oven (375-degree F). If using as a bottom for a pie- consider if the pastry needs to be blind baked first to avoid a soggy bottom.

Notes

*Note: this pastry can also be used in a sweet pie if a bit of powdered sugar is added to the dough. (Depending on recipe, around 1/4 cup powdered sugar and by using 8 Tbsp butter instead of 6). *See my short crust for desserts-for more detail.
*This short crust pastry can be made the day before to speed up preparations

Pastry Notes:

A few things worth noting before we get too far into this recipe:

I use my homemade short crust pastry for the bottom of the pie. The pastry receives a blind bake before receiving the beef and beer filing. After the pie(s) is/are filled, I add a layer of storebought puff pastry to the top of the filling. (One box of puff pastry will do.)

I have sometimes made this pie with my short crust on the top and the bottom of the pie- and that is delicious as well. You will need to double the pastry recipe if you choose this route.

Or, if you are trying to be more carb conscious, you can add the beef filling to the bottom of the pie dish- and then add the short crust (or puff pastry layer) to the top of the pie only.

The other thing worth noting is the chosen pie dish. You can make this recipe using a standard pie dish (the beef filling will make enough for two standard pies). Equally, you can make individual pies using small ramekins or oven safe baking ware. One batch of my short crust pastry will make one bottom layer of a standard pie dish. If making individual pies, one short crust batch will make approximately 5 small- medium individual pies.

Making the Short Crust Pastry (in Photo Form)

Cold, grated butter ready to be mixed into flour to create a short crust pastry
*Frozen butter grates beautifully!
Frozen butter is grated and gently mixed with flour to create a buttery short crust pastry.
*The grated butter- tossed lightly in the flour-waiting for the ice water to bind it all together.
Dried beans on parchment paper for a blind bake technique
*For this recipe, I did a blind bake on my short crust pie bottom. This ensures the bottom of the pie is not too soggy when the beef filling is added. A blind bake is done by pricking the pastry with a fork first and then placing a piece of parchment paper (and some dried beans, pie weights, or rice) on top of the pastry and prebaking it for 10-15 minutes in a 400-degree preheated oven. *Tip: If you crumble the parchment paper up before adding to the baking dish, it makes the paper pliable- and therefore, much easier to work with.
A prepared pie dish is ready to make the beef and beer Father's Day meat pie base.
*I buttered and floured my baking dish-just to be doubly sure the pastry would release when it was finished baking. *The rolling pin acts as another "hand" to help drape the delicate pastry into the baking dish.
Unbaked short crust getting ready to be baked.
*I like to trim the extra pastry after I place the pastry in the baking dish- instead of trying to measure it correctly before.
Blind bake for pie crust is accomplished by using dried beans to hold the short crust pastry down while baking. This step keeps the Father's Day pies crisp on the bottom
*The crumpled parchment paper holds the dried beans (which act as weights) for the blind bake.
Blind bake for a pie crust using dried beans. This helps the bottom of our beef and beer Father's Day pies to remain crispy.
*Dried rice can also be used in place of the dried beans.
Our Father's Day Pies before going into the oven to bake.
*Puff pastry after an egg wash is applied and small slits are added to the top of the pies for the steam to release.

How to Make the Perfect Beef and Beer Pie Filling for Father's Day:

Beef and Beer Pie Filling Recipe:

Ingredients for beef and beer meat pie on a cutting board.
Elizabeth

Beef and Beer Pie Filling

Beef and Beer pie filling is an American twist on the British classic- steak and ale pie. This delicious dish is the perfect warming meal for a winter day. A flaky short crust is filled with a savory beef, vegetable, and beer filling. This filling recipe is intended to be used with my short crust pastry base and topped with a lovely puff pastry.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Servings: 10 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: English
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 lbs. Beef Chuck Roast
  • 2 Large Carrots *Washed, peeled, and chopped into medium sized chunks.
  • 1 Large Potato
  • 1/2 Large Onion
  • 1-2 Tbsp Avocado Oil *To coat the pan/skillet
  • 1-2 Tbsp AP Flour
  • 1 cup Guiness Stout
  • 1 tsp Salt *To suit taste
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt *To suit taste
  • 1/2 tsp Onion Powder *To suit taste
  • 1-2 Sprigs Rosemary *To suit taste
  • 2 Cups Beef Broth
  • 2-3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 2-3 Tbsp Cornstarch *Add cornstarch to a small bowl and then add the cool water. Stir until combined and then add to the meat.
  • 2-3 Tbsp Cool Water

Method
 

  1. Wash and peel the vegetables. Dice the onion and chop the carrots and the potato into bite sized, uniform pieces.
  2. Add the avocado oil to a large heavy bottom skillet over medium heat.
  3. Sprinkle salt and flour over both sides of the beef.
  4. Sear beef on each side- until browned (5-7 minutes per side).
  5. Remove the beef and sauté the vegetables for two minutes (adding a splash more oil if necessary).
  6. Add the beef broth, Guinness, and tomato paste and stir. Bring the mixture to a low simmer.
  7. Then add the seared beef, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, and the vegetable/Guiness mixture to a crockpot. Cook on low for 8-9 hours (until very tender).
  8. Using a spoon, gently ladle some of the fat off the top of the broth.
  9. In the last half hour, add the cornstarch and the water mix to the crockpot and stir.
  10. Allow the mixture to thicken. Taste and season accordingly- to suit individual preference.
  11. Allow the meat mixture to completely cool before adding to the (blind baked) short crust pastry in a pie baking dish or individual baking ramekins. *Sometimes I make two large meat pie and other times I make separate pies- depending on who I am serving.

Notes

*See my short crust pasty for the base of this recipe. Depending on how you make the meat pies (individual or as one large pie) you may need to make two batches of the short crust pastry dough.
*Blind bake the short crust pastry before adding the cooled filling to the pastry.
*Either top the meat and veg filling with my short crust pastry or use a store-bought puff pastry for the top of the pie. Fill the pie and bake until flaky and golden brown.
*This filling recipe makes enough for two standard sized pie dishes.

Step by Step Instructions (in Photo Form):

Ingredients for beef and beer meat pie on a cutting board.
*A good Father's Day meal, begins with quality ingredients.
Chopped vegetables and rosemary are almost ready to be added to the Father's Day meat pies.
*Fresh veg and rosemary really make this Father's Day meal shine.
Raw beef and uncooked vegetables are placed on a cutting board in preparation of the Father's Day meal.
Beef and chopped vegetables are almost ready to add to the Father's Day pies.
*The beef and veg browning in the skillet before being added to the crockpot.
The ingredients for the beef and beer Father's Day pies are cooked.
*Meat, veg, broth, and beer in the crockpot- ready to cook-slowly until tender.
Buttery short crust pastry tops the Father's Day beef and beer pies.
*Buttery puff pastry (storebought) now tops the savory beef and beer pie filling. Note: the bottom of my pie is my homemade short crust recipe, but I added a storebought puff pastry to the top of my filling. You can use puff pastry or short crust pastry over the top of these pies.
English Guiness meat pies have been baked and are ready to serve Dad on Father's Day.
*Using a fork, press the edges of the puff pastry onto the edge of the baking dish-creating a seal. Small pieces of rosemary can then be added to the tops to serve as a fragrant garnish for the Father's Day meat pies!
Thrifted and antique treasures that have been collected to create a storied Father's Day tablescape.
*The Barnaby's mug was a thrift find that I bought for Craig, as are the candle holder, the crystal vase, the tablecloth, the saltshaker, and the flat- basket- plate. *Vintage, beautiful treasures for a bargain! Now, that is my "cuppa" tea!
Beef and beer pie plate setting for a Father's Day table.
*The D-A-D letters, that keep making a debut, were a fun purchase from an antique mall.
A Father's Day meal served on a wicker tray.

Frequently Asked Questions About English Beef and Beer Pies:

  1. Can I use store bought pie crust/short crust pastry instead of making my own short crust pastry? Yes, you certainly can use store bought pastry. If I am in a rush, I like to use a storebought (roll out) pie crust from Aldi for the bottom- and a puff pastry layer on the top of the pie.
  2. Do I have to add the beer? No, you can substitute the beer for another cup of beef broth.
  3. Why does the beef and beer filling need to chill before adding to the short crust pastry? The filling needs to be completely cool before adding to the pastry because if the filling is hot or warm, it will begin to melt the butter in the pastry. Allowing the filling to chill, avoids this scenario.
  4. What do you serve the beef and beer pies with? I like to serve my beef and beer pies with either steak fries (chips in England), or homemade mashed potatoes with gravy. Also, with green peas or green beans.
  5. How do I store leftovers and later reheat? I allow my pies to completely cool before wrapping them well with a plastic wrap layer and then an aluminum foil layer. Stire in the refrigerator. To reheat, you can use the microwave (which creates a softer crust), or you can place the pie in a 350-degree F (preheated oven) and heat until warm. Note: You may need to cover the pie with aluminum foil if the crust begins to brown too much. The oven method allows the crust to remain flaky. *I even like to eat a slice of a leftover meat pie- cold.

How to Use a Thrifted Tray to Serve a Father's Day Meal

*I know you guys have seen this vintage, tray basket before in my Englishy Muffins and Pretty Things post, but seeing as it is Father’s Day, I thought we would “dress” the meal in a more noteworthy way. Thus, giving the meal the impression of a breakfast in bed celebration.

Moreover, trays are handy things to search for in the thrift store- so when I come across one, I always stop to inspect it. Personally, I like trays that make a statement. Textured trays add a lovely warmth to any room and can be used to decorate a space with a stack of books and a candle, or they can be used as a literal serving tray. 

As shown below, I served my beef and beer pie recipe on a woven tray to make it an extra special Father’s Day treat. Extra details go a long way in making someone feel celebrated.

Interior of beef and beer meat pie surrounded by a buttery short crust pastry.
*Beef and beer pie filling is delicious and ever so comforting to the belly and soul.
Beef and beer meat pies, British chips, and peas. A lovely Father's Day meal!
*The flaky, buttery short crust and the savory beef and beer filling are the perfect combination to celebrate dad on Father's Day...or any day!

The Secret Ingredient in a Father's Day Meal is Love

This English inspired meal is made with more than just crisp short crust pastry, savory beef, lush vegetables, and rich beer- for first and foremost, it is made with love. 

Always the special ingredient in our home. 

Speaking of love, if I had to describe my husband’s love for his children and family- I would describe it as steady and strong. Tender and calming. Unselfish and kind. 

My next story will bring these qualities to light.

How a Father's Day Meal, and a Secondhand Purchase, Help to Celebrate Dad:

Recently, my music-loving husband, bought a record player. Much to his delight, he has begun collecting secondhand, vinyl albums.

When the records come on… the children come out to dance. They drop whatever they are doing and run into the living room to have a listen to the crack- cracking sound of old vinyl tunes.

It has been a delightful sight to behold my husband dancing with his children. I have treasured these glimpses of him picking up our youngest daughter, while grabbing the hands of the others, smilingly- pulling them close, holding their little hands, and just being in the moment with his children. Surrounded by love-in the quietness of our home. What a lovely sight to see-and a magical treasure to hold in our hearts- all the while, being imprinted in our memories.

Love is often not in things bought or money spent, but in quiet moments where no one (other than those closest to you) is around to see. 

I pray I always cherish the quiet moments with my children- for those are the ones that often make lasting impacts.

Vinyl record playing on Father's Day to help celebrate Dad.

A Favorite Thing About Dad: A Father's Day Tribute to Celebrate

The last endearing thing I will share, in honor of Father’s Day, is one of my favorite things that happens every weekday in our home.

My husband drives an old Chevrolet… it is the cutest, little, blue truck you ever did see! When the engine revs…you hear it.

Every morning, for as long as I can remember, the children have woken up early to wave goodbye to their dad as he leaves for work. 

The children will be completely sound asleep. I mean under the covers, practically snoring, drool coming out of the corner of their mouths, kind of asleep. But when my husband starts his truck to leave for work… they all immediately sit up, throw their covers off, and run to the windows… as fast as their little legs will carry them-simply to wave goodbye to their beloved dad. 

I can see them all from the front porch, each sleepy face- at a separate window- waving. After this, they crawl back into their warm beds and go back to sleep… as if they had been asleep all along. 

What joy to witness the love they have for their dad.

Favorite Things That Remind Us of Dad on Father's Day:

Vintage English post cards that point to dads home. Perfect ways to celebrate dad's memories on Father's Day.
*These are old postcards that my aunt gave us. They were purchased when my grandparents visited England- many years ago. These postcards are a stylish item that I use as a decorative touch in our home. The framed photograph is a thatch-roof cottage in the English village where Craig and I lived before coming to live in America. We took this photograph on one of our many village strolls.
Everton football scarf with wooden heart- a Father's Day tribute.
*The wooden heart is a gift that my husband made for me. I cherish it and use it often in my home decorations, as you will... and may have already seen, in previous posts. *Everton is Craig's favorite football (soccer) team in England.
Wooden heart with wooden letters spelling DAD. Reminders of dad on Father's Day.
Trinkets that remind my family of England and Dad on Father's Day.

Final Father's Day Thoughts: Enjoy the Simple Moments

Naturally, every moment does not always look like the above moments in our home, but when those moments do take place- what a blessing it is to pause, and take it all in, with a thankful spirit.

May this serve as a reminder to enjoy the moments we are given, as we do not know how many God may give us. 

So here is to Father’s Day, savory food (beef and beer pies), sweet memories, and love. 

A special Happy Father’s Day to my own wonderful dad and my fantastic father-in-law, in England.

Happy savory, pie eating, Father’s Day! 

For more English recipe ideas- check out my ultimate guide to traditional English recipes here.

Until next time…Cheers!

~Elizabeth~

English inspired Father's Day table setting

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