This easy Pepper Beef Pie is incredibly delicious. Hearty beef mince & mushrooms in a mouthwatering peppery gravy with flaky puff pastry.
Pepper and beef in a tasty gravy sauce
This recipe for Pepper Beef Pie makes 8 scrumptious pies, so it’s perfect for a winter’s lunch or dinner with your in-laws! It’s too easy, we just make the filling in advance and pop them in the oven just before our guests arrive!
You’re probably asking, ‘You want me to serve pie to our guests? If so, I know where you’re coming from because as delicious savoury pies are, they don’t look very fancy. However, once your guests dig into these pies, they’re going to love you even more. Minced beef in irresistible gravy with heat from the freshly ground peppercorns and mushrooms goodness. These pies are sure to delight their tastebuds.
Hopefully, your family won’t be as blatantly direct as my family. Tomi (the husband) and Nara (the sister, yes, on my side) raced to the dinner table when they found out I made Pepper Beef Pies. ‘The filling is so good! Do you know I love pies more than burgers?’ Nara mumbled after a huge mouthful. ‘But I like my pie with more pastry, so why are you stingy on the pastry?‘ Tomi nodded in agreement before asking, ‘Where’s the bottom of the pastry?‘
The funny thing is, neither Nara nor Tomi are cooks. They probably don’t even know that blind baking is required to make the bottom crust. This part is a little time-consuming and I rather leave that a weekend. However, if you would like to make the bottom crust for your pies, refer to my AUSSIE BEEF PIE recipe. In that recipe, I wrote a step-to-step guide on how to make the bottom crusts of the pies using frozen pre-rolled shortcut pastry.
For me, I don’t mind having a single pastry crust on top of the pie, and that’s because I can add more side dishes. Crusty bread, salad and mashed potatoes, hmm are we still missing the bottom crust?
Why does freshly ground pepper taste better?
For convenience, I sometimes use pre-ground pepper to season my dishes. However, if pepper is one of the star ingredients in a dish like this Pepper Beef Pie, then I would grind whole peppercorns myself.
Whole peppercorns are more pricey than ground or cracked pepper because it has more flavour with a stronger ‘peppery’ punch. Once broken from their outer shells, peppercorns lose their intense flavour immediately. They lose even more flavour once they’re exposed to air, moisture and light. This is why the waiter/waitress grinds the peppercorns on our plates right before we eat!
I learned about the difference between using fresh and pre-ground peppercorns the hard way. A few years ago, I attempted to make Chinese Pepper Beef Stir-fry hoping it would taste as good as the ones we get at Chinese restaurants. Clueless me, I used pre-cracked peppercorns and ended up being awfully disappointed that my dish lacked that peppery taste I was craving.
How do you grind peppercorns?
With a pepper mill, of course! …Ah no! Not when the recipe calls for loads of freshly ground pepper like this one. I don’t know about you, but you won’t see me twisting that pepper mill for hours trying to get 2 tablespoons’ worth. That pepper mill may (accidentally) end up flying out of my window.
My first choice would be to use a spice grinder to grind peppercorns, except that idea is a no go as I don’t know where mine is. It’s too much hassle to find it, so I used my powerful mini food processor/chopper. It actually did a decent job for a cheap little gadget. After a few seconds of pulsing, my peppercorn resembled store-bought cracked pepper.
Another way to grind whole peppercorns would be to use a mortar and pestle, which is always my preferred method for dealing with spices, but it’s labour intensive. You’ll need lots of elbow grease to pound those spices into the right consistency! Also, for me, I have to pull that heavy mortar out and then find the missing pestle! Yes, blame my toddler! Kai loves testing his strength out lately by dragging heavy items around the house.
A coffee grinder is another fuss-free solution. Apparently, some people crush them with their hands but don’t ask me how! What I know is that you must use whole peppercorns to make this Pepper Beef Pie.
Check out these other delicious, comforting winter meals:
Chicken Provencal with Potatoes, Bacon and Green Olives
Beef and Potato Stew (Ukrainian)
Ingredients for Pepper Beef Pie with Mushrooms
Frozen pre-rolled puff pastry – For convenience, I used prepackaged ready-rolled pastry. I used 24cm (9.5in) square pastry sheets. Follow the instructions on the packet on how to defrost the pastry sheets, but don’t leave them out for too long. They’ll go elastic and break easily, making them harder to work with.
Beef mince (ground beef) – I used regular mince with some fat mixed in as it tastes better, however, lean mince would also work.
Mushrooms – I used small button mushrooms which have a mild flavour, but Swiss Brown and white mushrooms are good too. If you can’t find small mushrooms, just cut them into quarters or more depending on their size. Mushrooms soak up water like a sponge, so it’s best not to wash them in water. Clean them by using a damp tea or paper towel, and gently wipe the mushroom caps clean.
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Whole black peppercorns – For that delicious vibrant and ‘peppery’ taste, it’s worth paying extra for whole peppercorns. Pre-cracked or ground pepper won’t give the same beautiful spicy flavours as you would get with freshly ground peppercorn. To grind your peppercorns, use either a mortar and pestle, spice grinder or a powerful mini food processor.
Beef stock or broth – I prefer using salt-reduced beef stock because I have more control over the sodium levels in my cooking. It’s always better to be under-seasoned than over-seasoned as it’s easier to fix.
How to make Pepper Beef Pie with Mushrooms
Step-by-step guide with photos
Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) or 180°C (360°F) for fan-forced ovens. Grind the peppercorns in a small food processor (or spice grinder, mortar and pestle) until it resembles cracked pepper.
Heat oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat, then add the garlic and onions. Stir regularly for 1 minute or just when the onion slightly softens. Add in the mushrooms and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Place in the mince and break up as you stir, then cook the beef until it turns brown.
Once the beef has browned, mix in the tomato paste and cook for two minutes, then mix in the flour until combined. Pour in the beef stock, then add the stock cubes, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, peppercorns and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Have a taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Transfer the mixture to a heat-proof bowl and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes.
Divide the mixture between 8 x ramekins (1 cup capacity). Cut out 8 x 12cm/4.7in circles from the pastry sheets (4 circles on a sheet, I used a bowl to trace my circles). Place the pastries over the top of the ramekins and press the sides down to seal them. Use a fork to poke holes in the middle of the pie to allow steam to escape. Bake the pies for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and flaky.
A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.
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Cheers (I’ll drink to that) – Cat Tre
Pepper Beef Pie with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp whole black peppercorns (grinded) (NOTE 1)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (mild or light)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium brown onion (finely diced)
- 400 gm small button mushroom (sliced into halves) (NOTE 2)
- 1 kg beef mince (ground beef) (NOTE 3)
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 2½ tbsp plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 2 cups salt-reduced beef stock (low-sodium stock) (NOTE 4)
- 2 beef stock cubes (or 2 tsp beef powder)
- ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp horseradish cream
- 1 tsp salt
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 2 sheets frozen pre-rolled puff pastry (defrosted) (NOTE 5)
- 1 small egg (lightly beaten)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) or 180°C (360°F) for fan-forced ovens. Grind the peppercorns in a small food processor (or spice grinder, mortar and pestle) until it resembles cracked pepper.
- Heat oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat, then add the garlic and onions. Stir regularly for 1 minute or just when the onion slightly softens. Add in the mushrooms and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Place in the mince and break up as you stir, then cook the beef until it turns brown.
- Once the beef has browned, mix in the tomato paste and cook for two minutes, then mix in the flour until combined. Pour in the beef stock, then add the stock cubes, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, peppercorns and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Have a taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Transfer the mixture to a heat-proof bowl and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Divide the mixture between 8 x ramekins (1 cup capacity). Cut out 8 x 12cm/4.7in circles from the pastry sheets (4 circles on a sheet, I used a bowl to trace my circles). Place the pastries over the top of the ramekins and press the sides down to seal them, then lightly brush the pastry with egg. Use a fork to poke holes in the middle of the pie to allow steam to escape. Bake the pies for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and flaky.
