London Beef and Oyster Pie Recipe (with video)

This London Beef and Oyster Pie Recipe, my take on a popular pub pie in London, simmered in Guinness, topped with pastry and served with raw oysters.

London beef pie recipe needs to be photographed before hubby can eat it!
London Beef Pie Recipe Needs To Be Photographed Before Hubby Can Eat It!

What Is A London Beef Pie? 

Nearly every country makes some type of meat pie; beef, pork, duck, you name it!

Here in America we make a pot pie, with a variety of meats and veggies inside.

An empanada is a delicious example of a beef pie, also made with pork and chicken.

But the pub pies of the United Kingdom are not to be beat.

Chunks of beef, often the cheaper cuts, simmered low and slow until totally tender, in a broth of many flavors.

The longer it simmers the thicker the gravy will be once encased in a scrumptious pastry.

London Beef Pie Recipe

Often times I find myself cooking with wine in my recipes, but as of late, I find that beer pairs well with beef, when simmered slow.

Guinness happens to be the beer this beef pie is traditionally cooked with.

It is low in alcohol, deeper in flavor which adds to the overall flavor of the broth.

Guinness simmers beautifully into a slow cooked beef stew, which is ultimately what a beef pie is, before it becomes a savory pie. 

Most often the beef dish tourist will try when in England is Shepherd’s Pie.

A Shepherd’s pie, made with lamb, is not to be confused with a Cottage Pie, which is made with beef.

This same recipe could easily be made into a Cottage Pie by covering the top with mashed potatoes instead of a pastry.

My London Beef Pie Recipe On Television

Who knew that years after I created this recipe, I would get to make it on national television! The Great American Recipe, on PBS, Season 1 Episode 1, is when I cooked this dish for a panel of judges!

Ultimately my recipe for London Beef Pie is in the Great American Recipe Cookbook too!

My London Beef Pie Recipe In The Great American Recipe Cookbook!
My London Beef Pie Recipe In The Great American Recipe Cookbook!

Savory London Pies

Pies, for many, are first thought to be for dessert, a savory dish wrapped in a pastry is so much more inviting than the stew it might otherwise be.

When my children were growing up, four of them, as a single mom with a full time business, I was always looking for ways to make meal time fast and feel unique. 

Leftovers make for the most unique savory pies.

A beef stew from a previous meal, portioned into individual baking dishes, covered with a pie crust or puff pastry and you have a totally unique, repurposed scrumptious meal.

Pork, being a lesser expensive meat, often found its way into my cooking for a large family. My kids loved, what I now call A Man’s Pork Pot Pie.

Leftover chili,  seafood chowder or anything that can be covered by a pie pastry, baked and served as though it was your intention all along! 

Hot beef pie and a raw oyster served on the side.
Piping Hot Beef Pie and a Raw Oysters to slide in.

Beef Pie Pastry

Beef, in my opinion, doesn’t have a huge amount of flavor on its own. I know, you must be shaking your finger at me on that statement.

I grew up on lamb which is loaded with flavor, even if it’s not your preference, you have to admit it’s got flavor.

I feel the same about chicken or turkey breast. I think they need help. 

A homemade pastry to place on top, is always the best, since it provides an opportunity to put flavor into the pastry; herbs, garlic, cheese or mustard. Yes, mustard!

Mustard is loaded with flavor and certainly enhances the flavor of beef.

Why do you think Gordon Ramsay always brushes his tenderloin beef with mustard before he wraps even an expensive cut of beef into a pastry! 

If you are using a store bought pie crust or puff pastry for your beef pie, mix a little mustard with an egg yolk and brush it across the top of the pastry before baking it.

It will make the crust both golden in color and more flavorful. 

Puff pastry top on a beef and beer pie.
Puff Pastry Top

Cuts Of Beef For A Stew

Since a beef stew is what gets made first before making a beef pie, you may already know an inexpensive cut of beef will become tender when simmer low and slow in liquid.

Adding Guinness, or a favorite ale to the liquid, adds not only a rich flavor but also helps to break down any tough cartilage in the beef. 

A tenderloin of beef might not be the most frugal cut for this recipe, opting instead for a less expensive cut.

Occasionally my son, a professional chef, hooks his mama up with an entire tenderloin.

When I am lucky enough to have one, I cut off the scraps and odd pieces when I trim the tenderloin.

I use those for this delicious London beef pie recipe. 

The best surf and turf using local products.
The Best Surf and Turf!

Oysters With Beef?

Talk about a surf and turf!

I first had a beef pie made with Guinness and served with a raw oyster, while visiting England.

It was so darn decadent and delicious that I had to try to replicate what I ate.

This recipe is as close to what that pie tasted like to me.

When the pie is served piping hot, the raw oyster gets slid into the pie crust and slightly steamed inside the beef pie. Talk about presentation!

THE CAMERA EATS FIRST! A trailer pitch I produced showcasing this fabulous Beef Pie and a trip to each place where the ingredients came from: Farm and Sea to Table!

Robin Daumit Production of ‘The Camera Eats First’!

Other Savory Pies To Love

I couldn’t help but share a few more of my favorite savory pies with you, especially since they have dear memories for me, raising four kids alone who loved these meals.

The pastry for a savory pie can be easily made at home, or the use of puff pastry, phyllo dough or even just cover the top of a thick stew with homemade biscuits or homemade bread dough!

Ingredients Needed

  • Beef
  • Onion
  • Butter
  • Garlic
  • Herb bundle – rosemary, oregano, thyme
  • Salt/pepper
  • Carrots
  • Peas
  • Potatoes
  • Guinness
  • Egg
  • Flour
  • Oysters
Slide a raw oyster into a hot beef pub pie.
Slide the raw oyster into the hot pub pie.

Equipment Needed

  • Cutting board
  • Chopping knife
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Measuring cup
  • Measuring spoons
  • Saute pan
  • Spatula
  • Cooking spoon
  • 4 Individual Baking dishes
  • Stovetop or burner
  • Oven
London Beef and Oyster Pie Recipe

London Beef and Oyster Pie Recipe

A British Beef Pot Pie in crust with an oyster or two slipped in at table.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Meat
Cuisine: British
Keyword: Beef Oyster Pie
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

  • 4 Baking Bowls
  • Large Skillet with lid

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Beef cut into bite size cubes
  • 1 Onion – medium finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 1 Garlic clove crushed
  • Herb bundle rosemary, oregano, thyme (tied)
  • Salt and pepper to taste (pinch of cayenne)
  • 2 cups Carrots chopped
  • 1 cup Peas
  • 2 cups Potatoes chopped bite size
  • 12 oz Guinness or stout
  • Roux 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 Puff pastry sheets or homemade pie crust
  • Egg wash 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon mustard, mixed to brush across pastry
  • 8 Raw Oysters served on the shell

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, caramelize the onions in butter with the herb bundle until golden brown.
    Add garlic and beef cubes that have been seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides. 
  • Move the meat to the edges of the pan, add roux ingredients – 2 tablespoons butter/2 tablespoons flour, stir until flour and melted butter are blended.
    Mix the meat and onions together with the roux, stirring to coat the meat. Slowly pour in the Guinness and stir.
  • Add carrots and potatoes. Cover and allow the carrots and potatoes to soften and the sauce to thicken.
    Add peas, stir, turn off the burner and remove the herb bundle. 
  • Pastry Instructions
  • On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry. Cut the pastry to fit the top of the individual baking dishes. Gather scraps of the pastry to use as trim. 
  • Fill the baking bowls with the beef mixture.
    Place pastry on top. Use the strips around the edges to create an attractive edge.
    Brush the egg-wash across the pastry and the edges. 
  • Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden. 
  • Oysters 
  • Oysters add not only a lovely presentation but the surf and turf flavors are completed with the addition of the oysters. Serve the raw oysters in a shell or attractive decorative plate alongside the piping hot beef pie. 
  • At Table – insert a knife into the pastry and slide the raw oyster into the beef pie. Allow it to sit for a few minutes. The oysters will steam, ever so slightly and maintain their delicious briny flavor.

Video

 

A photo of oysters and wine on a plate.
London Beef and Oyster Pie Recipe – Now Famous On American Television by Whisk and Dine

 

Robin
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)
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