Scottish Steak & Sausage Pie
This Scottish Steak and Sausage Pie will quickly become a family favorite! This dish is the perfect combination of tender diced beef, savory sausages, and a flaky puff pastry crust. It's the perfect meal to warm you up on a cold winter's day, and it's sure to become a family favorite.
Scotland is known for its rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, and delicious cuisine. One dish that embodies the essence of Scottish comfort food is the steak and sausage pie. This hearty dish features tender chunks of beef sirloin and sausage in a savory gravy, topped with a flaky pie crust.
In this post, we'll be sharing our favorite recipe for this classic Scottish dish, complete with step-by-step instructions and tips. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner in the kitchen, this recipe is sure to impress your taste buds and transport you straight to the heart of Scotland. So, let's get started!
Scottish Steak & Sausage Pie
Ingredients
Flour – You can use all-purpose flour or your favorite gluten-free all-purpose substitute.
Seasonings – We use onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and pepper to season the flour.
Meat – Use a good braising beef for this. You can have a butcher cut up a braising steak (chuck, skirt, flank), cut it up yourself, or if you can get higher quality pre-cut stew meat you can use that. You'll also need sausage.
Square sausage is divine in this. You can make it using our recipe or, if you are lucky enough to live in Scotland, you can grab some from your local butcher. Otherwise, sausage links work well. In the US we use original breakfast sausage links. In Scotland, we used classic pork sausages.
Beef Broth – You can use homemade beef broth or a combination of beef bouillon cubes with water.
Veggies – We use thinly sliced onions and sliced carrots in ours & serve peas on the side.
Beef Gravy – Use your favorite homemade beef gravy recipe or make from a mix. We like to keep Bisto on hand. Sometimes family sends over from Scotland, but we normally have to get at World Market or order from Amazon.
How to Make Scottish Steak & Sausage Pie
Making steak and sausage pie is so easy! Start by adding your seasonings to your flour. I like to use a combination of garlic & onion powder, along with some thyme and black pepper.
Coat your beef cubes in the seasoned flour, then fry in your dutch oven with some olive oil. Make sure to do it in batches and don't crowd the pan. Once each batch is done, use a slotted spoon to remove it and place it in a bowl.
After your beef is browned, cook the sausage. If I'm doing square sausage, I cut each slice into 4 pieces…typically with a spatula in the dutch oven. For sausage links, I cut the US ones into 2 pieces and the UK ones into 4. The goal is to make them easier similar in size to your beef chunks. Add a little more oil to the pan as needed. Once cooked, transfer to the bowl with your beef
Sauté the thinly sliced onions with crumbled beef bouillon cubes until they are translucent.
Add the fried beef & sausage to the Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover the meat.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for one hour.
Add the sliced carrots to the Dutch oven and cook until they are tender. If the beef isn't tender enough yet, increase the overall cook time until the desired tenderness is achieved.
Add 1 cup of beef gravy (homemade or from mix) to the Dutch oven and stir until everything is well combined.
Now you have a couple of options. You can either top it with a shortcrust pie crust (which I've never done) or a puff pastry top. I love the look of the puff pastry but we typically do individual puff pastry pieces, because it tastes amazing either way.
Plus, with individual puff pastries, we don't have to wait for the filling to cool and then bake it. I typically start my puff pastry when I add the carrots while Nick works on the mashed potatoes.
What is a Scottish steak pie?
Steak pie is a beloved traditional Scottish dish that is often served on New Year's Day as part of the Hogmanay celebrations. However, steak pie is enjoyed throughout the year, not just on New Year's Day. In Scotland, it is a popular comfort food that is commonly served as a main course for dinner.
The recipe for steak pie varies from region to region and from family to family but it is typically a savory filling with diced or minced beef and often vegetables such as carrots, peas, and onions. The filling is slow-cooked in gravy and topped with a pie crust, which can be either shortcrust or puff pastry. The pie is typically served hot and is a popular dish in Scotland. You can pick one up from the butchers on your way home from work there!
Whether you're enjoying it on New Year's Day or any other day of the year, steak pie is a delicious and satisfying dish that is sure to please.
Can I make a Scottish steak pie at home?
Yes, you can easily make a Scottish steak pie at home by following this recipe. You can also tweak it a little to make it your own! Although I typically do in a crustless version, you can use your favorite pie crust recipe (or store-bought) as a base. You can do it in individual pie tins. Or serve my favorite way, with individual puff pastry pieces on the side!
How do I serve a Scottish steak pie?
Scottish steak pie is typically served as a main course dish, often accompanied by mashed potatoes and vegetables. Our recipe includes carrots, but we sometimes add frozen peas about 20 minutes before serving and serve with just mashed potatoes & gravy. You could also do oven roasted baby potatoes to switch it up!
You can also serve it with HP sauce, which is a delicious UK condiment I highly recommend everyone keep on hand. It is kind of like a cross between A1 steak sauce and Worcestershire sauce and goes well with most beef dishes and on bacon sammiches.
How do I store a leftover Scottish steak pie?
If you have leftover Scottish steak pie, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I have only frozen the filling and then topped it with puffy pasty in a baking dish after thawing or served it with puff pastry on the side.
Scottish Steak & Sausage Pie
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2.5-3 lbs braising beef
- 4 beef bouillon cubes
- 4 cups water
- 12 ounces pork sausages
- 2 onions thinly sliced
- 2 cups carrots sliced
- 1 cup beef gravy homemade or from mix
- 1 sheet puff pastry
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and black pepper to taste. Mix well to combine.
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil & lower heat to medium-low once shimmering.
- Coat the braising meat in the seasoned flour mixture and fry in batches, using long-handled tongs to avoid getting burnt. Wait until the pieces don't stick to the pan before turning. Move the cooked beef to a separate bowl as it finishes frying.
- Fry the pork sausages in the Dutch oven. Move to the bowl with browned beef.
- In the same Dutch oven, sauté the thinly sliced onions with cumbled beef boillon cubes until they are translucent.
- Add the fried beef & sausage to the Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover the meat.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for one hour.
- Add the sliced carrots to the Dutch oven and cook until they are tender. If the beef isn't tender enough yet, increase the overall cook time until the desired tenderness is achieved.
- Add 1 cup of beef gravy (homemade or from mix) to the Dutch oven and stir until everything is well combined.
If Baking as a Pie
- Transfer to a pie/baking dish
- Allow filling to cool.
- Preheat oven to 375º F
- Roll out your thawed puff pastry to fit your baking dish.
- Cover baking dish with puff pastry and press to seal along dish.
- Brush puff pastry with egg wash, if desired.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
If Serving with Individual Puff Pastry Slices
- Preheat oven to 375º F
- Roll out your thawed puff pastry to about 10×14. Cut into 6 equal pieces.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffy and golden.
Notes
Nutrition
