British · Authentic-ish British
Steak and Ale Pie
542 kcal a serving, against 881 for the traditional version. That is 339 kcal off, or 38%, with 42.5g of protein. Serves 4. 2 hours 15 minutes.
What the traditional version is
The classic pub approach: chuck steak or braising beef, cut into cubes, browned in fat. Onions sweated down, maybe a carrot or two for sweetness.
What changed, and what each change costs
Braising beef to lean beef shin
Braising beef is usually well-marbled, which means plenty of fat melting into the sauce. Lean shin gives you the same slow-cooked richness, but drops a good portion of the fat.
What it costs you. Shin needs longer and a watchful eye, or it dries out. The flavour's still deep, but you'll lose some of the silkiness that comes from melted fat. If you rush it, it can be stringy.
Shortcrust pastry top and bottom to a single puff pastry disc on top
Shortcrust, especially under the pie, hoovers up gravy and turns into a sort of meat-sponge, which is glorious but brutal on the waistline.
What it costs you. You lose the best part - the soggy pastry on the bottom, welded to the meat. No more giant slabs of crust you can slice. Instead, it's more like a stew in a ramekin with a posh hat.
Butter for frying to a splash of vegetable oil
Butter brings sweetness to the onions and browns the meat beautifully, but you only need enough to stop things sticking. Vegetable oil does the job without adding much flavour.
What it costs you. Anything fried in oil instead of butter is a little less exciting. If you sniff and miss a buttery aroma, you're not wrong.
Dusting and thickening with flour to using less flour, and relying on reduction
Traditional pies use plenty of flour to make a thick, sticky gravy. If you use just enough, and let the sauce cook down, it'll still cling to the meat without the gluey heft.
What it costs you. The filling won't set up into clean slices. You'll get more of a stew on a plate than a wedge you can pick up. It's less tidy, but that's what spoons are for.
Lean beef and a smaller pastry lid mean there's space to add more veg
With less pastry to fill you up, you can pad the stew with mushrooms and a bit of carrot, which stretch the dish further and add sweetness.
What it costs you. Nobody has ever complained about more gravy-soaked vegetables, but you'll notice it's lighter on the meat per forkful.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 881 | 542 |
| Protein | 54.3g | 42.5g |
| Fat | 41.8g | 24.8g |
| Saturated fat | 23.8g | 10.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 66g | 31.1g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.2g | 7.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish British prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten.
The method is in the book
If you're after that brick-thick pie you can slice into generous wedges and eat with one hand, this isn't it, it's a beef stew with a party hat. The top crust is the first thing to go. What you get back is more meat, more gravy, less pastry-induced remorse, and a meal that won't have you hibernating. You'll miss the soggy bottom, and if you claim otherwise you're either lying or you've never had a proper pub pie. The filling still brings the richness of ale and slow-cooked beef, and the pastry lid gives just enough crunch to scratch the itch. You'll be back for seconds before you realise you didn't eat half a pound of butter.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish British, along with 57 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.