Slow Cooker Steak and Gravy Pies

Slow cooker meat pies that are cooked while you work, play or whatever you do in your day! The beef is so soft and tender, falling apart and full of beer flavour swimming in a rich gravy. Freeze them for emergencies, or eat them fresh as soon as there done! And if you have a pie maker…no oven needed.

Aussie meat pies at their best. Rich and boozed up.

It occurred to me that I haven’t given you guys any slow cooker recipes. So..this is the first.

I’ve made these many times over. There’s something about pies and children; they go hand-in-hand. And the best part is you can make them in a humbled muffin tin! There’s no need go out and buy a Pie Maker…although I have one that looks just like this:

Pie Makers are a godsend for Summer Pies and avoiding any extra heat coming from ovens. But in winter, we love to crowd around the heat radiating from the oven and watch these rise like perfect puffs full of gravy.

They’re even better when you save a stash (in raw state or already baked) in the freezer and you need something quick in a hungry emergency.

Slow Cooker Steak and Gravy Pies

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Serves: 6 pies

Ingredients

• 600 g | 21oz chuck steak (or stewing beef), diced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil , divided
• 1 onion , peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 gloves garlic , peeled and crushed
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 x 440ml can Guinness stout (or sub with beef stock) or 2 cups other dark stout beer
• 1 x 440g | 15oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable stock powder (optional but enhances the flavour)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 3 sheets puff pastry , defrosted
• 1 egg , whisked

Instructions

• Season beef with salt and pepper and evenly toss in the flour to coat (use a sealed sandwich bag if needed). Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non stick pan/skillet and fry in batches until browned all over. (Do not over crowed your pan!) Transfer to slow cooker.
• Heat the remaining oil in the pan and add the onion. Fry until fragrant and softened; add the garlic and thyme and fry for a further minute; transfer to slow cooker. Pour the beer and tomatoes over the beef; season with vegetable stock powder (if using) and salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients together; cover slow cooker with lid and turn on to low settings. Cook for 6 hours or until beef is tender and falling apart. Once cooked, shred the beef and set aside.
• If using a pie maker: cut out 12 rounds using the pastry cutters provided (6 bases and 6 lids). Alternatively, use a muffin tin: cut out six rounds -- 4cm | 2-inches bigger than the muffin holes for the pie bases; and six rounds 2cm | 4-inches bigger than the muffin holes for the pie lids.
• Press each pie base into each hole lightly with your fingers and draw the pastry up the mould so the pastry is 1cm above the mould. Spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of the beef mixture into each hole, brush edges with a small amount water, top each with a pastry lid and press the edges together to seal in the filling. (Use a fork if needed, or crimp the edges if using a muffin tin.)
• Brush the pastry tops with beaten egg and prick the tops with a fork to allow stream to escape. Cook in your pie maker following manufactures instructions OR bake in a preheated oven (200C | 390F) for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden.
• Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve with tomato sauce, if desired.

Notes

If storing in the freezer in raw state, store in zip log bags. When ready to cook, remove them from freezer and allow them to thaw completely. Follow instructions above to cook them through in the oven or pie maker.
If storing ready cooked pies: remove from freezer and microwave for 2 - 2:40 minutes (depending on your microwave) or follow instructions above for oven times and temp.