Beef stew pie for the festive season. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
BEEF stew is one of those homemade dishes we love to enjoy on a rainy day.
But making it into a pie elevates this comfort food to another level.
There’s something magical about encasing a hearty, slow-cooked stew in a golden crust and baking it to perfection.
The result? A dish that is as heartwarming as it is festive.
This beef stew pie isn’t just a recipe – it’s a story. It takes me back to a memorable visit to Cardiff, Wales, a few years ago, where my wife and I stayed with our friends, Paul and Liz Bendor-Samuel.
Between rambles through the Welsh countryside for cream tea and picking blackberries for jam, we spent countless hours in their kitchen, laughing, sharing stories and cooking together.
Paul introduced me to his incredible beef stew recipe – a dish as rich in flavour as the moments we shared around the table.
He used a beautifully marbled brisket with tendons that melted into tender, flavourful morsels after a long simmer.
I was asked to collaborate on the dish by transforming it into a pot pie.
Using an easy-to-remember shortcrust pastry recipe – four parts flour, two parts butter and one part water – I rolled out a buttery lid for the stew and baked it.
Cooking with Paul, we placed the crust directly over the beef in the casserole dish it was stewed in.
However, at The Star’s test kitchen, where only induction stoves are used, we cooked the meat in a metal pot and then transferred the stew to a ceramic casserole dish for baking.
This small adjustment reminded me that, no matter the tools at hand, it’s the flavours and love poured into the dish that truly matter.
Just don’t rush the process. A good stew needs time for the flavours to develop, and the pie needs a moment to cool before you dig in, allowing the aspic to thicken slightly.
The result is pure magic – tender beef dripping with luscious gravy, topped with a crisp, buttery crust.
This beef stew pie isn’t just a recipe. It’s a slice of cherished memories. It’s about the joy of cooking together, the warmth of friendship and the simple pleasure of sharing a meal that’s made with love.
So, this holiday season, let your kitchen be filled with the aroma of this festive pot pie.
Serve it to your loved ones with a side of laughter and savour the taste of Christmas comfort.
Beef stew pie
Marinade
1kg beef topside, cubed
2 tsp salt to taste
1 tsp pepper
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
Ingredients
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
270g onion, diced
370g carrot, cut into obliques
4 cloves garlic, crushed
180g cremini or shiitake mushrooms, quartered
2 cups beef broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
250g potato, cubed
5g fresh thyme
Shortcrust pastry
200g all-purpose flour
100g unsalted butter
50ml iced water
½ tsp salt to taste
Glaze
1 small egg, lightly beaten
Directions
Cut beef into 3cm cubes, then marinate with salt, pepper and flour for an hour.
Pulse the shortcrust pastry ingredients in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs. Roll the dough into a small disc and allow it to rest in the chiller until firm.
Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan and brown the beef cubes on all sides until well seared. Remove beef and set aside.
In the same oil, saute onion, garlic and mushrooms until wilted and they start to brown.
Deglaze the pan then add thyme, carrots, beef broth, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
Return beef to the pan and cover with a lid to simmer for two hours until the meat is tender.
The beef stew is simmered (above), transferred to a casserole dish and covered with pastry (below). Post-baking, the beef should remain moist and the crust buttery and flaky.
Stir in potatoes, simmer another 20 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender and liquid reduced into a thick gravy.
Roll out the pastry dough to about half-cm thickness and cover the beef up to the edges directly in the pot, folding the overhang under the dough inside the rim.
Crimp the dough along the edges and cut chimney vents all over the top.
Brush with egg and bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until the crust is golden.
Allow the pie to rest for a few minutes to let the gravy settle.
The beef will remain moist and the crust will be perfectly buttery and flaky.
Serve with mashed potatoes, crusty bread or enjoy on its own.
