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Slow Cooker Beef and Bone Marrow Pie
I first had this in a restaurant in london, coincidentally whilst visiting my publisher and instantly fell in love with it. Now you can skip the bone marrow, you can make one huge pie or smaller individual skillet sized pies. This is for a special occasion and trust me when i say, it is worth the 8 hours to make.
SERVES
4
COOKING TIME
7 hours
DIFFICULTY
simple
Can you make beef pie filling in a slow cooker?
A slow cooker is perfect for creating tender, flavourful beef pie filling. Cooking low and slow for 6–8 hours allows the meat to become melt-in-your-mouth soft while infusing the sauce with rich flavours.
What cut of beef is best for a slow cooker pie?
The best cuts are braising steak, chuck, or shin of beef. These tougher cuts break down beautifully during slow cooking, resulting in a rich and hearty pie filling.
Do you have to use bone marrow in this recipe?
No, the bone marrow adds a luxurious depth of flavour, but it’s completely optional. You can still make a delicious beef pie without it by focusing on a well-seasoned slow-cooked beef filling.
How do you make the pastry for a beef and bone marrow pie?
You can use ready-made shortcrust or puff pastry for convenience, or make your own if you prefer. Simply top your slow-cooked beef mixture with pastry and bake until golden.
Can you prepare the pie filling in advance?
The slow-cooked beef mixture can be made 1–2 days ahead and stored in the fridge. This makes it perfect for prepping before a dinner party or special occasion.
How long should you cook beef pie filling in a slow cooker?
For the best results, cook the beef mixture for 8 hours on low or 4–5 hours on high. This ensures the meat is tender and the sauce is rich and thick.
Can you freeze beef and bone marrow pie?
Yes, you can freeze the cooked beef filling for up to 3 months. Defrost fully, then assemble with pastry and bake when ready to serve.
This is a recipe I wrote for Healthy Fakeaways, but it didn’t make the cut. If you want to pre order, you can here! But not to worry – I have more fakeaway recipes like this over on my website:
Method
Step 1
In a pan, fry off the beef in some oil, season and then add the onion and pancetta.
Step 2
Add to the slowcooker with all other ingredients apart from the pastry, egg and bone marrow. When adding the herbs, if you can tie them together into a little bouquet till help fish them out when its fully cooked.
Step 3
Cook in the slowcooker for 7 hours on high, using a fork to help the beef fall apart, fish out the herbs bouquet.
Step 4
Decant your pie filling into your dish of choice, add the bone marow to the middle, the pie filling around it, then in your pie lid, make a hole so you can fit the bone marrow through it.
Ingredients
800g diced beef
100g high quality pancetta
1 tbsp butter
1 handful of fresh rosemary
1 handful of fresh thyme
1 handful of fresh parsley
3 tbsp tomato puree
150ml red wine
600ml rich beef stock
2-3 tbsp of flour or gravy thickener
1 sheet of ready roll shortcrust pastry
1 carrot finely diced
1 red onion finely diced
1 celery stick finely diced
1 egg to egg wash
Salt and pepper
1 piece of bone marrow for the middle of the pie
