You know what’s best to cope with these cold and dark winter nights? A good steaming pot of meat stew and perhaps some hearty pies. Or…what about both in one dish?! Now that’d really hit the spot. That’s why this beef stew pastry pie recipe is so good as it satisfies both cravings.
The recipe is actually inspired but this certain dish I had at a Turkish restaurant in London before the second national lockdown happened. It was the Et Sote dish I had at The Bosporus, which consisted of beef cooked in Iskender sauce with flatbread baked over it like a pastry pie. The dish really got me inspired – instead of a classic steak pie, I can make an Et Sote-inspired beef stew pie!
Et Sote Beef Stew
As mentioned, I did take some inspiration on the Turkish dish, Et Sote. Even though Et Sote roughly translates as saute/stir-fry, it’s more like a stew in reality. The meat is first browned and then simmered in a sauce till tender, so the latter definitely fits the description more.
I used diced beef that I purchased from my local butcher. Sprinkles of salt and black pepper are used to briefly season the beef before cooking.
In a large pot, heat a tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the beef and cook until it starts to brown. Then add in a slab of butter in there, which contributes to a buttery aroma and keeps the meat extra juicy!
Et Sote roughly translates as saute/stir-fry. But it’s ac instead of that, I took my time to cook it like a stew until the meat’s super tender. It’s more so the ingredients that I took inspiration from. I have cooked it in a generous amount of butter, together with a handful of seasoning and spices. Then, it’s slow-cooked in tomatoes and beef stock until tender and flavoursome.
Shortcrust Pastry On Top
The pastry on top is optional. But who wouldn’t want some golden pastry as topping?!
I used pre-made shortcrust pastry for this. It’s crucial to let the pastry to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling it out. In the meantime, you should also let the beef stew to cool down a bit. If the dish is too hot, you might find yourself battling with pastry that’s gone too soft.
Transfer the cooked beef stew over to an oven-proof dish. Top it with the shortcrust pastry and flute it around the edges. Decorate if you want.
Using a fork, pierce a few holes on the surface of the pastry to allow steam to release. This prevents the pastry from going soggy in the cooking process. Brush with beaten egg to give the pastry some colours.
Bake at the top rack of a preheated oven at 200C for 15-20 minutes until the pastry turns golden in colour and cooked through.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Alternative Serving
So for any reasons that you don’t want pastry, you can simply serve the beef stew with some flat bread and/or rice.
Common FAQ
Use a fork and pierce a few holes on the pastry. This is to allow steam to be released and preventing the pastry from going soggy.
Brush your pastry with a beaten egg or egg wash before baking it.
If you have any other questions, please leave a comment and I will answer you and include them here on this FAQ.
Beef Stew Recipe with Pastry
Ingredients
- 210 g Diced Beef
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter / Margarine
- 4 cloves Garlic lightly smashed
- 1 Onion chopped
- ½-1 tsp Chilli Flakes
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 400 g Tinned Plum Tomatoes
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1½ cup Beef Stock
- 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander Leaves chopped
- Salt & Black Pepper to taste
For the pastry topping:
- Jus-Roll-It Shortcrust Pastry depending on the size of your cookware and decorations
- 1 Egg beaten, for egg wash
Instructions
- Briefly season diced beef in sea salt and black pepper.
- Heat cooking oil in a pot over high heat. Cook the beef for a few minutes until they start to brown.
- Stir in the butter/margarine. Turn to medium heat and cook for another 5 minutes until the juices begin to reduce.
- Add in the onions, garlic and chilli flakes. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Season with paprika, salt, black pepper, and oregano.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook until deepened in colour.
- Add the plum tomatoes, beef stock, and bay leaf. Mix well, bring to a boil, then turn to medium-low heat and cover. Let cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally and add more water if needed.
- Toss in chopped coriander leaves and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately if not adding pastry topping.
Adding the pastry topping:
- Let the pre-made shortcrust pastry sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before use.
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Place beef stew into an oven-proof dish. Wrap shortcrust pastry over the oven-proof dish.
- Flute the pastry around the edges. Decorate the pastry top if you wish.
- Using a fork, pierce holes on the surface of the pastry to allow steam to release. Brush with egg wash.
- Place on the top rack of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Let rest and cool down for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To make it easier to roll out and handle, let the pastry sit at room temperature before use.
- Allow to beef stew to cool down a bit first before transferring to an oven-proof dish and wrap with pastry. This is because the heat may cause the pastry to soften and makes it difficult to handle.
- Piercing holes on the pastry help to release steam and prevent the pastry from going soggy.
- Brushing the surface of the pastry with beaten egg helps to add colour to the pastry.
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