A Humble Beef and Mustard Pie

There’s something deeply comforting about a pie. It’s more than a meal; it’s a warm, golden-brown embrace at the end of a long day. This particular recipe, a simple beef and mustard pie, is one of those timeless, no-fuss dishes that feels like home. It’s not about fancy techniques or hard-to-find ingredients. It’s about patience, simple flavours, and the quiet joy of creating something truly nourishing.

Gathering Your Ingredients

This is the kind of recipe where you might not even need to run to the shops. The magic is in how these basic ingredients come together.

• Beef stewing steak, cut into chunks
• A couple of tablespoons of plain flour
• Salt and black pepper
• Rapeseed or vegetable oil
• A good glug of red wine
• Beef stock
• One onion, a couple of carrots - roughly chopped
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• A hearty spoonful of wholegrain mustard
• Ready-made puff pastry (a humble shortcut we can all appreciate)
• An egg yolk, for glazing
• Green beans and butter, for serving

A Labour of Love

Don’t be daunted by the time this takes. Most of it is spent with the oven doing the work for you, filling your kitchen with the most incredible aroma.

• Start by tossing your beef in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper. This little step is the secret to a rich, thick gravy later on.
• In a large casserole dish, brown the beef in batches. Don’t rush this. Those dark, crispy bits at the bottom of the pan are pure flavour.
• Once all the beef is browned, return it all to the pan and pour in the wine. Let it bubble and reduce by half—it takes the sharp edge off and leaves behind something wonderful.
• Add in the stock, your chopped onion and carrots, the thyme, and that essential spoonful of mustard. Give it a good stir, season well, then pop the lid on and let it slow-cook in a low oven (150C/300F) for a good two hours. The wait is worth it, I promise.

Bringing It All Together

When the two hours are up, you’ll have the most tender, falling-apart beef. Let it cool a little before you fish out the thyme sprigs. Then, it’s pie time!

• Transfer your rich beef filling into a pie dish.
• Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg yolk—this helps the pastry stick.
• Drape over your sheet of puff pastry, press down the edges, and trim off any excess. A simple fork-crimp around the edge always looks