Steak and Ale Hand Pies
These Steak and Ale Hand Pies feature juicy sirloin steak tips simmered in dark beer. Add in the flaky biscuit dough, and you’ve got one heck of a delicious cold weather comfort food!
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I was born in the South. I grew up in the South. Now I live in upstate New York. (Laura’s job brought us up here 10ish years ago.) While I miss the South something fierce, I’ve found ways to cope with living way up here. For starters, I’m closer to Santa Claus. That means I get my Christmas presents sooner, right? I also discovered curling. Yes, that sport on the Olympics. Heck, I might even say I enjoy living up here. (But if presented with the opportunity to move back South – say the mountains of western NC – then I’d be packing boxes this afternoon!)
Basements. That’s right. Basements. Houses down South don’t have basements. (Or if they do have basements, they’re often small, dark storage rooms where monsters lurk in the shadows looking for the right opportunity to scare the bejesus out of you. I speak from experience here.)
We have good friends who live in Charleston, SC, and they come up each summer to visit. We got to talking about basements recently. I have no idea why Southern houses don’t have basements. Perhaps it’s the level of the groundwater? Perhaps it’s just an architectural style? Whatever the reason, I have to admit that I love having a basement. Our basement is a large finished area that serves as man-cave, rec room, sports bar and home gym. It’s pretty much where I would live 24-7 if I could…although the lack of a bathroom down there would be a bit problematic.
Steak and Ale Hand Pies
I always make sure to keep our basement sports bar stocked with all of our favorite beers. Typically that means seasonal brews along with a variety of IPAs. I stumbled across this Steak and Ale Hand Pies recipe on the Certified Angus Beef ® website the other day, and my mouth immediately started watering. Juicy sirloin steak tips simmered in dark beer and then wrapped in biscuit dough? Sign me up!
For this recipe, I grabbed a bottle of Guinness from our downstairs bar. I felt a little guilty when I popped the cap and poured the whole thing into the pot on the stove. (Ok, I might’ve stolen a tiny sip for myself. You know, just to make sure the Guinness still tasted good. It did.) However, once it was all done, this stew mixture was amazing! I could’ve easily stopped right there and served it in bowls or over rice, but I wanted to keep going and make these hand pies.
As these Steak and Ale Hand Pies bake, the juices from the filling absorb into the biscuit dough. (Don’t worry. The biscuits didn’t get soggy!) Once out of the oven, these hand pies are the epitome of Fall and Winter comfort food. If you’re in the mood for a good cold weather recipe, then put this one on your radar. The hand pies are a unique (and fun) way to serve what is essentially a tasty beef stew with biscuits on the side. We enjoyed these hand pies for dinner along with some roasted broccoli and a side salad. Delicious. I hope you enjoy this fun recipe as much as we did!
Did you make a batch of these Steak and Ale Hand Pies at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Steak and Ale Hand Pies
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Certified Angus Beef ® sirloin tip steak
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp canola or vegetable oil
- ¾ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cup dark beer I used Guinness
- 2 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 cup frozen diced carrot and pea blend
- 1 cup frozen diced or shredded potatoes
- 1 tube biscuit dough makes 8 biscuits
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Cut steak into ½” cubes and place in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper; toss until well combined.
- Using a large saucepan or Dutch oven, add oil and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add steak cubes and sear for 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add onions and garlic; stir until well combined. Continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and add broth and Worcestershire sauce; simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Using a small mixing bowl, whisk together beer and corn starch.
- Increase heat to medium and add beer mixture, frozen carrots/peas and frozen potatoes; stir until well combined. Cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes. Turn heat off and let mixture cool while preparing dough.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Working on a well-floured surface, separate biscuit dough and roll each of the 8 pieces into 7” rounds.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer ⅓-½ cup of beef filling into the center of each round. (Note: A little liquid is fine, but too much liquid will make it difficult to shape the hand pies in the next step.)
- Lightly beat egg with 1 Tbsp of water. Brush the edge of the each round with this egg wash halfway around the circumference. Fold the other edge of the rounds over to form half circles.
- Using a fork, crimp the folded edge together to seal. (Note: Ensure that the half circles are sealed to prevent filling from leaking out.)
- Brush the tops of the pies with the remaining egg wash. Poke the top of each pie 2-3 times with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Place pies on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 15-17 minutes.
Looking for more delicious cold weather comfort food? Check out these other favorite recipes, too:
Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese
Man, these pies look good. But a few things first: 1) Obviously, you need to build a bathroom in that basement. 2) When you bring the beer upstairs, always bring two. I mean, what if you drop one and the bottle breaks? If it doesn’t, though, and another trip back down the stairs seems like a bit of unnecessary exercise, go ahead and drink the beer. It just makes sense. Now back to those pies. Using biscuit dough makes them so approachable – great idea! I also love your classic filling, with peas and carrots. Nice work, David!
Yes, you make an excellent point, Jeff. I need to put a bathroom in the basement. But then again, there’s always some other use of that money that seems like a better investment…like buying more beer to stock the bar. 🙂 Also, your logic about the 2 beers is impeccable. I’m speechless. Thanks so much, my friend!
Mm, love hand pies! And steak and ale = a winning combo. With you there on basements too!! Eek!!
I’m right there with ya on the hand pies, Alex! They’re such a classic comfort food…and the filling here is delicious. Thanks so much, my friend!
Closer to Santa Claus. Hysterical!!! I love love these. The filling is fabulous, but so much more fun to eat wrapped in dough. Great recipe.
Haha! Hey, that’s how I justify living way up here in the north, Mimi. 🙂 Also, I’m totally with ya on filling wrapped in dough. It’s just hard to beat!
These hand pies are making my mouth water! I’ll be making mine with broccoli and potatoes instead bc you probably guessed I don’t like peas. Lol.
I don’t even like to go down my cellar, that’s why my freezer isn’t down there anymore! All cellars creep me out, unless it’s a finished area! You definitely need a bathroom down in yours bc it’s a pain, running up and down the stairs all the time! I’m totally speaking from experience on this! It’s great exercise though! Lol.
Have a fantastic week and weekend coming up!
Hey J! I think broccoli and potatoes sound like a great twist on this recipe. (Of course, you might need to adjust the cooking time to make sure the potatoes are soft…no one wants undercooked potatoes in their hand pies!) Also, I’m with ya on the bathroom in the basement. Of course, the sneaky workout from running up and down helps justify another beer…or another hand pie! Haha. Thanks so much, my friend! Hope you had a great weekend.
I’m guessing Robbie is in on the ‘being closer to Santa Claus’ factoid…lol!
Love these hand pies, David! The crust looks flaky and the steak looks super juicy!
Haha…oh yeah, Robbie is all-in on Santa Claus this year! He keeps asking when Santa is going to come…and we’re still 6 weeks from Christmas. 🙂 Thanks so much, Marissa!
Basements. I don’t really watch TV, but most of the times I stumble across a home-renovation show, people’s basements look horrible…nope horrendous like a perfect scenery for a horror movie where people are hunted and tortured. But I like the way your basement sounds! And this pies? They look phenomenal, such beautiful golden crust. And you’re absolutely right – the stew itself appears already delicious that I’d probably skip the dough part. Either way, tasty!
Our basement is a bit different than the torture chambers that you’ve seen on those shows, Ben. It’s literally the best part of the house in my opinion…even if it’s missing a bathroom. Oh well, you can’t get it all, right??
These hand pies are perfect for cold weather. It’s snowing here this morning, and I suspect it might be kinda cold up in your area, too. Enjoy!!
hi david
nothing nicer than a small pie tho these do look like pasties to me. you know, small crimped-edged envelopes of meat and/or veg. delicious!
So I think hand pies and pasties are basically the same thing. (We don’t call ’em pasties here in the States, so I’m taking a guess.) No matter what you call them, though, these are delicious! Thanks so much, Sherry!
Houses in Oregon don’t really have basements either; my understanding is that basements are necessary in colder places because the foundation has to be below the freezing line. I don’t know why I know that and I could be totally wrong but it would explain why southern homes don’t really have them. I was always sad that my childhood home didn’t have a basement, preferably a haunted one. (I was really into ghost stories as a kid.) Anyway–these hand pies. They sound like such a fun dinner. Who doesn’t love pie?!?
You’re full of interesting factoids, Kelsie! So now I know the deal about basements. Except I always pictured Oregon as being pretty cold in the winter, no? I’m with ya that a haunted basement is pretty much the greatest thing ever…until you have to go down there! 🙂 Also, more pie, please!
Hi David! These remind me of a pasty which is quite popular in Northern MI. They have steak and veg in them and were made for working men as a easy, handheld lunch. I like the simpler biscuit crust. I’m thinking I need some of these soon! Our house here has a basement, in fact our entire house and basement have 9″ thick brick walls. There is a sump pump down there and for a very good reason! It also has occasional rats and snakes so I avoid it at all costs! Our house was built in 1951 and is in the country. Most homes here don’t have basements because we have “TN topsoil” which equates to rock hard red clay!
The biscuit crust on these hand pies makes them SO much easier to make (and eat) than traditional hand pie dough. These came together so quickly…and they disappeared almost as fast! 🙂
Oh no. Rats and snakes? Yeah, you won’t find me anywhere close to your basement, D. I hope you have a good locked door in between! Also, I totally remember the red clay down South. I remember trying to dig holes in it at our house in Atlanta…darn near impossible!
David, I’m thinking you posted this lovely hand pie recipe just to tease my taste buds. I love hand pies of all kinds from all over the world. This looks great and I’ll be giving it a go soon. In the meantime, I’m pinning this to my Global “Hand Pie” Recipes board. Speaking of living in the South, did you ever have a Natchitoches meat pie? They’re spicy and so good.
Now, you think to live in NY get’s Santa to you sooner? We live even closer to the big guy at the North Pole, so Sweden gets to see him Christmas eve. Yep, all of Sweden celebrates Christmas on Christmas eve.
Take care and keep those recipes coming.
Yes! I have indeed had Natchitoches Meat Pie. Some good friends of mine in Baton Rouge introduced me to those, and I’ve been hooked ever since. In fact, they are on a list somewhere entitled “things to make for the blog.” Hah!
See! So there is some truth to living further north means being closer to Santa. Interesting tidbit about celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve. I’m down for that! Thanks so much, Ron!
A basement is a must in any house! These hand pies look amazing. I love the flaky crust and that savory filling. Perfect for lunch or dinner.
I’m with ya on the basement, Kathy. Where else would I hang our creepy Halloween skeletons when it’s not Halloween time? Haha!
Steak and ale is probably my favourite pie, and in a hand pie form, you’ve made it portable! Love it David!
I’m all about the portable comfort food over here, Matt! This filling is downright delicious, and the biscuit dough makes this recipe so much easier. Yum!
I have been wanting to make this for couple of weeks before but I have not found the right recipe. After trying this my whole family fell in love. I’m so glad i made it and i can really rely on site’s recipes thanks 🙂
Thanks, Mary!
oooooh, these sound so delicious and yes, a total comfort food. Hand pies are the best! Closer to Santa. LOVE that! 🙂 ~Valentina
Haha! Thanks so much, Valentina. I figure being closer to Santa is the only way to justify living this far north. 🙂
I’d love to see a picture of your man-cave. I mean basement, David! I have my own office in the box bedroom which has my weight bench and stuff in it. No bar though. That’s in the kitchen cupboard downstairs! Ha ha. I’d be too tempted with a bar near my office. Glad you added Guinness to your hand pies. I love that in any kind of steak casserole or steak pie. It just makes all the difference don’t you think? Great recipe!
I’ll have to get a photo of the man-cave up here on the blog then, Neil! We just ordered a new couch that’ll take several weeks to arrive…so let’s hold off until that gets in. Guinness in beef stew just takes it to a whole new level. And then wrapping that mixture up into biscuit dough? Yup, this is winter comfort food at its best!
Yeah me too, on the basement thing. Most of my husband’s family live down south and none of their homes have basements, I have often wondered why. These steak and ale hand pies look delicious. I will have to put them on my list to make.
Well, Kelsie made an interesting point about basements and the frost line. Perhaps that’s the reason? Either way, I love our basement! I also love these hand pies. Definitely put ’em on the list, Dawn! They’re the perfect cold-weather comfort food!
David, basements have always terrified me. Growing up we had our toys and play area in the basement beside the fruit cellar (it was an old house and we never opened the fruit cellar door – I do remember it was a dirt floor). Needless to say, I didn’t play very long. The thoughts of what was behind that door had me running upstairs pretty quickly! Right after college, we moved to Virginia. What I’ve noticed about the houses here is that they have a walk-out basement. So you get the benefit of the extra space and a place to shelter from a tornado, with the comfortable feeling of not being in a ‘basement.’
David, you’ve nailed it once again with these hand pies! My boys would devour these. I’m trying to be their favorite food blogger, but you’re making it really tough! You always know exactly what they want to eat!
So I’m super intrigued by this fruit cellar idea. It was separate from the actual basement? Interesting! Although the dirt floor might’ve spooked me a bit, too. So we have family friends in Virginia, and I totally remember their walk-out basement, too. Ours is pretty similar I guess. It’s finished like that, but it is still entirely underground. Either way, I love the basement!
Thanks so much for the kind words here, Kelly. A good hand pie is difficult to beat! And as far as favorite food blogger, I think you’re my favorite…so what goes around comes around! 😉
Lots of great (and delicious) recipes here David to help us all through our lockdowns. I particulary remember those steak and ale hand pies. Now that’s the kind of comfort food I’d happily eat all the way through the next few weeks. Take care and look after yourselves. #staysafe.
Thanks, Neil! I do love these hand pies. Nice and easy to make, but packed with flavor. 🙂