how to make a beautiful melt in your mouth steak pie?

[mouseymummy]

I'm planning to make a steak and potato pie later on this week but last time I made it, the meat was really dry. I've no idea how I fudged it but I did!!

Does anyone have a fool proof way to get tge steak melt in your mouth beautiful and the pastry flaky but not dry?

The steak will be braising steak.

I don't have a slow cooker so it'll need to be cooked on the hob or in the oven.

Any help appreciated!

Cook with onions and gravy in a low oven for 4/5 hours. I would do it the day before, part cook the potatoes and add together before putting in the pie.

Thank you clutter. Would around gas mark 3 or 4 be ok?

I'll probably stick it in the oven at lunchtime while dd naps then stick the crust over the top at around 4ish.

Yes that would be ok. With stewing steak the lower the oven and longer you can cook it for the better.

Brilliant, thank you very much for your help.

I use stewing steak, onion, carrot, beef stock cube with enough water to cover ingredients, wouster sauce, black pepper, and two tbsp of hp guiness sauce, herbs of your choice - thyme works well
i cook at 160 for three hours, checking every so often that its still got plenty of liquid. The meat comes out so tender, yummy! Cooking it with the lid on the casserole dish is a must.

I'm not great with pastry, so I double-cheat at pies.

Firstly by using ready-made frozen and secondly I roll it out, cut it into however many rectangles for one each, then score a 1cm margin around the edge of each, almost through. Brush with whatever and pop in the oven. It'll rise up and you can lift out the middle, put in your filling and put the lid back on and serve straight away, nice and crisp.

(And this beef in beer would make a nice filling : ) tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/beef-in-beer.html)