Beef pie where the meat is sort of shredded?

[MerylSqueak]

I'm looking to replicate the beef pie I used to have at primary school in the 70s. I loved it. The meat was sort of shredded down and the gravy had no distinguishable vegetables.

I'd probably make the sauce based on cooked down veg but I don't know how to get the meat right.

God, I loved that pie!

I'd do slow cooked beef, perhaps a brisket? Put carrots, celery and onion in the liquid (stock cube, water, bay leaf, worcestershire sauce). Strain off the liquid (keeping it!), throw out the mushy veg. Then shred the meat like you do pulled pork. Cook down the braising liquid with a bit of cornflour, add a bit of beer or possibly blackcurrant jam as you cook it down for depth of flavour.
Then blind bake a pastry base, fill and top and bake.

Ok. That makes sense. I'll give it a go.

I don't have a slow cooker. Do you think it'll be ok in a casserole?

You can cook it down low and slow on the hob. Use stewing steak or casserole steak and after 3 hours or so, it'll start to fall apart and the veg will pretty much dissolve - no need to remove it as it adds body and flavour.

Was it not just a mince beef and onion pie? That’s what we got in school dinners.

You really need to go to the local farmers yard and but some pesticides/colouring/leaded fuel and then add some fag ash.

@PickAChew

You can cook it down low and slow on the hob. Use stewing steak or casserole steak and after 3 hours or so, it'll start to fall apart and the veg will pretty much dissolve - no need to remove it as it adds body and flavour.

Agreed, I would. I only said remove as OP said they didn't want any vegetables in it. Bit much nicer with!

You can buy slow cooked beef from any supermarket, it takes 30 mins in the oven, Waitrose one is lovely and one pack for £5 is enough for two. You could put ready made pastry on the top, it is really easy.

Use beef shin and cook it low and slow until it falls apart. I do mine on the hob as I find I can control the temp better.

Shin, beef short rib, beef cheek are all good! Rib would have the best flavour. Though if it's school dinners, maybe flavour isn't what you're after

Yes fag ash and diesel yes probably. I don't know why it holds such charms.

I don't remember onions@Akire. Maybe ours were powdered if there is such a thing.

I'll probably do similar to my chicken pie and when I remove the meat to shred it mash down the vegetables so they are inoffensive to small people then shred the meat and mix it all back together.

Don’t you just mean a minced beef pie?

I do this by using ox cheek or short rib (or both). First I cook a soffrito (small cubes of carrot, onion and celery - I cheat and buy the frozen one from Waitrose) in butter till soft then add a heaped tablespoon of plain flour and mix. Put in the beef (sear first in another pan) and add an even mix of Guiness and beef stock plus some bay leaves and seasoning. I use a casserole dish with a lid and cook on gas mark 2 in the oven for 4 hours and it is super tender. Use this stew for the pie filling.

The veg are tiny in this but have basically disintegrated by the time it is cooked

Nancy birtwhistle has a school dinner pie in her drizzle and sizzle book made with mince which is pretty good and reminds me of school meat pies!

It is probably made from left over roast beef or minced beef boiled to death for hours. Low heat in a casserole dish is a good way to get mince to go all melty and tender.

Use tinned carrots/peas for best results.

Once beef gives a very different texture.

The original Beef pies of the 60s and 70s mostly had their fillings cooked in a Pressure cooker, and if dropped to shreads of tenderness the same as Tinned stewed steak is today. We made our Gravy from the cooking stock from the meat and added a couple of Red Oxos and thickened it with Bisto original and a hint of white pepper, the recipe having been handed down through several generations of our family from our Farming roots in the late 1800s. The nearest shop bought pie to the original that l have tried comes from the Meadowfresh pie company, based in Chesterfield Derbyshire, a rare treat whenever we visit some of the farm shops and Garden centres who sell it in the local area.

How long do you actually cook the beef for to get it like that? I've tried 3 hours and it's still in hard cubes

3 - 4 hours. I use shin of beef.

If it was in the 70's the meat was probably horse 😂😂

To be honest, a lot of our school dinner "beef" pies were mostly tvp

I think we had aminced beef 'dish' - slop - that I think probably was tvp . I swear the beef pie was lush though

@Susannahmoody

How long do you actually cook the beef for to get it like that? I've tried 3 hours and it's still in hard cubes

What beef are you using? Needs to be quite fatty. I find the 'casserole' beef you get at supermarkets goes tough and never really breaks down. Short rib always works.

I love that kind of pie too! I do it by putting cubed beef shin (Sainsbury’s do it) in a casserole dish with finely chopped onion, celery and carrot, a chopped garlic clove, loads of white and black pepper, a heaped tbsp of Bisto best beef gravy, then half a big bottle of beer. Lid on and slow cook for about 4 hours. Take it out and thicken the liquid with a bit of cornflour mixed with water. Shred the meat with two forks. Cover with a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry and back in oven until pastry is cooked. Delicious.

Was it like stewing steak in a tin?

With a shortcrust pastry?

That's what we had a school.