Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- Pastry: 350 g plain flour, 1 tsp fine salt, 200 g cold unsalted butter (cubed), 1 large egg yolk, 90–110 ml ice water with 1 tsp malt vinegar.
- Beef filling: 500 g beef mince (20% fat), 1 medium onion (finely chopped), 2 garlic cloves (minced), 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp plain flour, 300 ml beef stock, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp English mustard, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp white pepper, salt.
- Mash: 1.2 kg floury potatoes (peeled), 80 g unsalted butter, 120 ml whole milk (warm), salt and white pepper.
- Parsley “liquor”: 40 g butter, 30 g plain flour, 450 ml hot chicken stock, 30 g flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped), 1 tbsp malt vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, white pepper, salt.
- To finish: 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk (egg wash), malt vinegar for serving.
Do This
- 1. Make pastry: rub butter into flour and salt; add yolk and ice water-vinegar; bring together, chill 45 minutes.
- 2. Cook beef filling until thick and spoonable; cool completely (20 minutes in fridge).
- 3. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with rolled pastry bases; fill; cap with lids; crimp; vent; egg wash; chill 15 minutes.
- 4. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or 400°F with a baking sheet inside; bake pies 28–32 minutes until deep golden.
- 5. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender; mash with warm milk and butter; season.
- 6. Make parsley liquor: cook a butter-flour roux; whisk in hot stock; simmer; stir in parsley, malt vinegar, lemon; season.
- 7. Serve pies beside mash; ladle on green liquor; splash with malt vinegar.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Proper London pie-shop vibes at home: crisp beef pies, silky mash, and bright green parsley gravy.
- Make-ahead friendly: pastry and filling chill beautifully for stress-free assembly.
- Balanced flavors: savory beef, buttery potatoes, and tangy malt vinegar to wake everything up.
- Family-pleasing comfort food that still looks dinner-party impressive.
Grocery List
- Produce: 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 30 g flat-leaf parsley, 1 lemon, 1.2 kg floury potatoes.
- Dairy: Unsalted butter, whole milk, 1 egg.
- Pantry: Plain (all-purpose) flour, beef mince (ground beef), beef stock, chicken stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, English mustard, malt vinegar, dried thyme, white pepper, kosher or sea salt.
Full Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry
- 350 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 200 g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 cm cubes
- 1 large egg yolk
- 90–110 ml ice-cold water mixed with 1 tsp malt vinegar
Beef Pie Filling
- 500 g beef mince (20% fat)
- 1 medium onion (about 150 g), finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 300 ml beef stock (low-sodium), hot
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp English mustard
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves)
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper, plus salt to taste
For Assembly
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk (egg wash)
Creamy Mash
- 1.2 kg floury potatoes (Maris Piper, King Edward, or russet), peeled and cut into chunks
- 80 g unsalted butter
- 120 ml whole milk, warmed
- Salt and white pepper, to taste
Parsley “Liquor” Gravy
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 30 g plain flour
- 450 ml hot chicken stock (or traditional eel stock if you have it)
- 30 g flat-leaf parsley, very finely chopped (about 1 packed cup)
- 1 tbsp malt vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper, plus salt to taste
To Serve
- Malt vinegar, for the table
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make and chill the pastry
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the cold butter and rub it into the flour with fingertips until you have a mix of pea-sized bits and sandy crumbs. Whisk the egg yolk into 90 ml of ice water mixed with the malt vinegar. Drizzle over the flour-butter mixture, tossing with a fork until it starts clumping. Add more water a teaspoon at a time only if dry spots remain. Tip onto the counter, gently bring together without kneading, then split roughly 60% for bases and 40% for lids. Flatten into two discs, wrap, and chill for at least 45 minutes.
Step 2: Cook a rich minced-beef filling
Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef mince to the dry pan and cook, breaking it up, until browned and most moisture evaporates, 6–8 minutes. If there’s excess fat, spoon off a bit. Add onion and cook until translucent, 3–4 minutes; stir in garlic for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, Worcestershire, mustard, thyme, and bay leaf; cook 1 minute. Sprinkle over the flour and cook 1 minute more. Gradually stir in the hot beef stock and bring to a simmer; cook 10–12 minutes until thick and glossy with no runny liquid. Season with white pepper and salt. Discard bay leaf, spread on a plate, and cool to room temp, then refrigerate 15–20 minutes to firm up.
Step 3: Line tins and assemble the pies
Lightly grease a 6-cup standard muffin tin. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger pastry disc to about 3 mm thick. Cut 6 rounds large enough to line your cups (usually 11–12 cm). Press into the cups with overhang. Roll the smaller disc to 3 mm and cut 6 lids (about 8.5–9 cm). Fill each base with 80–90 g of chilled beef. Brush edges with water, top with a lid, and crimp firmly to seal. Cut a small steam slit. Brush with egg wash and chill 15 minutes to set the shape.
Step 4: Bake until deep golden and crisp
Place a heavy baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or 400°F for at least 15 minutes. Set the muffin tin on the preheated sheet and bake 28–32 minutes until the pies are a deep golden brown with crisp, flaky lids. Rest 10 minutes before easing out of the tin with a small offset spatula or butter knife.
Step 5: Make the creamy mash
While the pies bake, place potatoes in a pot of cold generously salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until a knife meets no resistance, 12–15 minutes. Drain well, return to the hot pot, and steam-dry 1–2 minutes. Mash or rice the potatoes. Warm the milk and butter together until melted, then fold into the potatoes. Season to taste with salt and white pepper until fluffy and smooth.
Step 6: Cook the parsley “liquor” gravy
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, for 1–2 minutes to make a pale roux. Gradually whisk in the hot chicken stock until smooth. Simmer 3–4 minutes until glossy and lightly thickened. Off the heat, stir in the parsley, malt vinegar, lemon juice, white pepper, and salt to taste. The sauce should be vivid green, tangy, and ladleable; thin with a splash of hot water or stock if needed.
Step 7: Plate and serve
Spoon a generous mound of mash onto each warm plate and nestle in a hot beef pie. Ladle over the bright parsley liquor. Finish with a bracing splash of malt vinegar and a pinch of white pepper if you like. Serve immediately.
Pro Tips
- Chill is your friend: cold pastry and cooled filling mean crisp bottoms and clean layers.
- Preheat a baking sheet under the tin to turbo-charge bottom crust browning.
- Reduce the filling until it’s thick and jammy—no soupy pies.
- Stir parsley into the liquor off the heat to keep the color bright; add a touch more vinegar to sharpen if your stock is very rich.
- For larger pies, use 10–12 cm tart rings and add 5–8 minutes to the bake time.
Variations
- Traditional nod: make the liquor with eel or fish stock for a classic East End flavor.
- Vegetarian: swap mince for finely chopped mushrooms and lentils; use vegetable stock in both filling and liquor.
- Shortcut: use good-quality store-bought shortcrust or puff pastry; bake as a top-and-bottom mini pie or a top-only pie in ramekins.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Pastry dough keeps 2 days in the fridge or 2 months frozen. Beef filling can be made 3 days ahead and chilled. Assemble pies and refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze unbaked for 2 months; bake from frozen at 200°C/400°F, adding 8–12 minutes. Baked pies reheat at 180°C/350°F for 15–20 minutes. Parsley liquor keeps 3 days in the fridge; reheat gently, thinning with a splash of water or stock.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate: 1010 kcal; 71 g fat; 91 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 3 g fiber; 1,050 mg sodium. Values will vary with brands and exact portion sizes.
