Meat and Potato Pie Lancashire Recipe
Calories: 683.4kcal|Fat: 38g|Carbohydrates: 58.8g|Protein: 25.7g
| 2 hours 10 minutes
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Meat and Potato Pie is a beloved dish in North England, particularly in Lancashire. It's a hearty and comforting meal that's perfect for colder days.
Opinions are divided on where meat and potato pies truly originated, with both Lancashire and Yorkshire laying claim to this hearty dish. Amidst this debate, a Lancashire variation emerges: the Butter Pie, also known as Catholic or Friday Pie. Meatless yet rich in flavour, the pie is filled with sliced potatoes and onions, generously coated in butter and seasoning. It offers a vegetarian comfort meal, demonstrating that innovation thrives even amidst age-old culinary rivalries.
For the Perfect Lancashire Meat and Potato Pie
In Lancashire and the rest of Northern England, there are various alterations that you need to tour around to discover them. One thing that I’m sure about is that the store-bought ones don’t hold a candle to homemade pies. If you’re grabbing them from a chip shop you can give a try to the pie barm and enjoy it with chips and mushy peas—a real treat!
- Choose beef, lamb, or mutton, chunked or minced. When it comes to meat and potato pie, recipes vary. There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for the meat and potato pie. For this classic dish, you can use beef, lamb, or even mutton for the meat, cut into chunks or minced—totally up to you. And don’t forget the comforting potatoes in hearty small chunks or mashed up as you prefer.
- Cook filling ahead or raw—both work. The recipe asks for the filling to be pre-cooked before baking. But if you’re in a hurry you can also toss it in raw and cover the top with aluminium foil to give the time for the filling to cook without burning the pie crust.
- Potatoes add comfort—chunky or mashed.
- Homemade pie and pastry beats store-bought.
- Pie crust – The ingredients for the pie crust make only the top lid. If you want a double-crust pie then double the ingredients.
- Individual pies – With this recipe, you can also make individual pies using rounded tins without altering the ingredients.
What You Need
- Pastry – Here we have used salted butter and lard for the pie crust but you can also use shortcrust or suet-based pastry. You can also add a mixture of beef dripping and butter for a flavorful crust.
- Meat – Use stewing steak or bavette steak, cut into 2cm chunks.
- Veggies – Use chopped onions and small chunks of potatoes. I use equal amounts of beef, diced potatoes, and sliced onions for a balanced filling but you’re free to add up to 100g more potatoes as suggested in the ingredients.
- Stock – Use beef stock or reduced-salt stock.
Save the Lancashire Meat and Potato Pie for Later
- Leftovers: Last 3-4 days in fridge; reheat in oven or microwave.
- Freezing: Cover in foil, and place in a freezer-safe container. You can also use a disposable pie plan if you know you’re going to freeze the pie. Lasts up to 3 months. Bake covered for 25 mins, then uncovered 25-30 mins.
Goes Well With
- Besides, pickled red cabbage, try serving it with a side of tangy coleslaw or a fresh green salad.
- Some like some ketchup but I suggest experimenting with chutneys, relishes, or mustard which add extra layers of flavour.
- British chip shops love to serve it with mushy peas and chips. You can try this at home too!
Health Info
- Calories: 683.4kcal
- Sugar: 4.3g
- Sodium: 938.4mg
- Fat: 38g
- Carbohydrates: 58.8g
- Fiber: 4.1g
- Protein: 25.7g
Potato Pie Lancashire Recipe
Servings 6 people
Calories 683.4kcal
Description
Meat and Potato Pie is a beloved dish in North England, particularly in Lancashire. It's a hearty and comforting meal that's perfect for colder days.
Equipment
- Rectangular Baking Dish (20 x 30 x 8cm) or 25 centimeters / 10 inches round dish
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 100 g (3.5 oz) salted butter
- 100 g (3.5 oz) lard
- 320 g (11.3 oz) self-raising flour plus extra for dusting
- 120 ml (4.2 fl oz) ice-cold water
- 3 tbsp Milk for brushing
For the filling:
- 500 g (17.6 oz) stewing steak or bavette steak, cut into 2cm chunks
- 500 g (17.6 oz) onions coarsely but neatly chopped
- 1/2 cube beef stock optional; reduce the salt if you use it
- 500 g (17.6 oz) potatoes up to up to 600g peeled and cut into smaller chunks (slightly smaller than the beef)
To serve:
- Pickled red cabbage
Instructions
- Cut the butter and lard into small chunks and mix with the flour. Freeze for 20 minutes.
- Pulse the mixture in a food processor until it resembles small crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the ice-cold water gradually until it just starts coming together.
- On a floured surface, lightly knead the dough until it comes together, ensuring the fat pieces remain visible.
- Roll out the pastry into a rough rectangle, fold it into thirds like a business letter, then turn and repeat. Rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Repeat the rolling/folding/turning/resting process at least once more.
- For the filling, cook the beef and onions with salt, pepper, and stock cube in water until the meat is almost tender. Add potatoes and simmer until cooked. Transfer to a baking dish and let cool.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/mark 5.
- Roll out the pastry slightly larger than the dish, brush edges with milk, and place it over the dish, pressing edges down.
- Brush with milk, crimp edges with a fork, create a lattice pattern on top, make vent holes, and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve with pickled red cabbage and optionally, ketchup.
Recipe Notes:
- Potato Pie Tips – Homemade pies are superior to store-bought ones. Choose beef, lamb, or mutton, chunked or minced. Recipes vary; there’s no one-size-fits-all. Pre-cook the filling or use raw with foil to prevent burning. Use chunky or mashed potatoes for comfort.
- Storing –
- Leftovers: Lasts 3-4 days in the fridge; reheat in the oven or microwave.
- Freezing: Cover in foil, freeze up to 3 months. Bake covered for 25 mins, then uncovered for 25-30 mins.
- Serve With – Serve with pickled red cabbage, tangy coleslaw, green salad, chutneys, relishes, mustard, mushy peas, or chips.
- Pastry: Use salted butter and lard, or shortcrust/suet-based pastry. Beef dripping and butter mix adds flavour.
- Meat: Beef, lamb, or mutton, chunked or minced.
- Veggies: Chopped.
- Stock: Beef or reduced-salt stock.
Goes Well With
- Mushy Peas
- Chips
- Pickled Red Cabbage
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