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Slow Cooker Beef Shin, Mushroom and Ale Pie Filling | DadTheFoodie

Slow Cooker Beef Shin, Mushroom and Ale Pie Filling recipe photograph

Instructions

Pat the beef shin dry and toss it with the flour, salt and black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan and brown the beef in batches, turning it until coloured on several sides. Transfer it to the slow cooker.
Add the remaining oil to the pan. Cook the onions and carrots for 5 minutes, then add the garlic for 30 seconds. Pour in the ale and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Tip everything into the slow cooker.
Stir in the beef stock, tomato purée, mustard, bay leaves, dried rosemary and Worcestershire sauce. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat; do not worry if it does not cover it completely.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (480 minutes), until the beef is very tender and the carrots are soft.
Stir in the mushrooms, cover again and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender. If a thicker pie filling is wanted, stir in the cornflour mixture during the final 15 minutes and allow the sauce to bubble gently until thickened.
Remove the bay leaves, taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir through the parsley if using. Serve with mashed potato, or cool slightly before using as a filling for individual pies or one large pie.
If making a pastry pie, transfer the hot filling to a suitable pie dish, let it cool until no longer steaming, cover with pastry and bake according to the pastry instructions until golden and piping hot throughout.

Equipment needed

Recommended slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Wooden spoon
Sharp knife and chopping board
Large bowl
Optional pie dish

Swaps and substitutions

Beef shin → Diced braising steak
Use the same weight; the cooking time remains the same, although the texture may be slightly less gelatinous.
Ale → Alcohol-free ale or extra beef stock
Extra stock gives a milder flavour; use 300 ml if replacing the ale.
Chestnut mushrooms → Closed-cup mushrooms
Slice larger mushrooms into chunky pieces.
English mustard → Dijon mustard
Use the same amount for a slightly sharper flavour.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes
Batch cooking: Suitable for batch cooking
Storage: Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container within two hours. Use within 3 days. The filling can be frozen in suitable containers for up to 3 months. Defrost: Defrost the frozen filling in a covered container in the fridge overnight. Reheat until piping hot throughout before serving.
Reheating: Defrost thoroughly in the fridge if frozen. Reheat the filling in a saucepan over a medium heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally, until piping hot throughout. Only reheat it once.
Leftover ideas: Use leftovers as a filling for cottage-pie-style mashed potato topping, spoon them over baked potatoes, or serve with crusty bread and steamed greens.

Allergen information

Contains gluten from the flour and may contain gluten in the stock cube, ale and Worcestershire sauce. Check labels carefully. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour, stock, ale and Worcestershire sauce.

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

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Recipe info

Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 480 min
Servings: 4

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Ingredients

Recipe serves 4

Adjust servings

Cooking time may not change in direct proportion to serving size.

900 g beef shin, cut into 4 cm chunks
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300 ml ale or alcohol-free ale
400 ml beef stock, made with 1 beef stock cube
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 tablespoon English mustard
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
250 g chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water, optional
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional
1 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper

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Slow cooker

Tags: Slow cooker, Beef, Beef shin, Mushrooms, Family dinner, Pie filling, Make ahead, Freezer friendly

Slow Cooker Beef Shin, Mushroom and Ale Pie Filling

Name: Slow Cooker Beef Shin, Mushroom and Ale Pie Filling
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 505 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 900 g beef shin, cut into 4 cm chunks; 2 tablespoons plain flour; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 large onions, sliced; 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 300 ml ale or alcohol-free ale; 400 ml beef stock, made with 1 beef stock cube; 2 tablespoons tomato purée; 1 tablespoon English mustard; 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon dried rosemary; 250 g chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water, optional; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional; 1 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste; ½ teaspoon black pepper

Tender beef shin cooks slowly with onions, carrots and ale until it makes a rich, savoury filling for pies or bowls of mashed potato. Mushrooms are stirred in near the end so they keep some texture.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 8 hrs
Total: 8 hr 25 min
Servings: 4

Equipment

Slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Wooden spoon
Sharp knife and chopping board
Large bowl
Optional pie dish

Ingredients

900 g beef shin, cut into 4 cm chunks
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300 ml ale or alcohol-free ale
400 ml beef stock, made with 1 beef stock cube
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 tablespoon English mustard
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
250 g chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water, optional
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional
1 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper

Substitutions

Beef shin → Diced braising steak (Use the same weight; the cooking time remains the same, although the texture may be slightly less gelatinous.)
Ale → Alcohol-free ale or extra beef stock (Extra stock gives a milder flavour; use 300 ml if replacing the ale.)
Chestnut mushrooms → Closed-cup mushrooms (Slice larger mushrooms into chunky pieces.)
English mustard → Dijon mustard (Use the same amount for a slightly sharper flavour.)

Instructions

Pat the beef shin dry and toss it with the flour, salt and black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan and brown the beef in batches, turning it until coloured on several sides. Transfer it to the slow cooker.
Add the remaining oil to the pan. Cook the onions and carrots for 5 minutes, then add the garlic for 30 seconds. Pour in the ale and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Tip everything into the slow cooker.
Stir in the beef stock, tomato purée, mustard, bay leaves, dried rosemary and Worcestershire sauce. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat; do not worry if it does not cover it completely.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (480 minutes), until the beef is very tender and the carrots are soft.
Stir in the mushrooms, cover again and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender. If a thicker pie filling is wanted, stir in the cornflour mixture during the final 15 minutes and allow the sauce to bubble gently until thickened.
Remove the bay leaves, taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir through the parsley if using. Serve with mashed potato, or cool slightly before using as a filling for individual pies or one large pie.
If making a pastry pie, transfer the hot filling to a suitable pie dish, let it cool until no longer steaming, cover with pastry and bake according to the pastry instructions until golden and piping hot throughout.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes

Suitable for batch cooking

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container within two hours. Use within 3 days. The filling can be frozen in suitable containers for up to 3 months. Defrost: Defrost the frozen filling in a covered container in the fridge overnight. Reheat until piping hot throughout before serving.

Defrost thoroughly in the fridge if frozen. Reheat the filling in a saucepan over a medium heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally, until piping hot throughout. Only reheat it once.

Use leftovers as a filling for cottage-pie-style mashed potato topping, spoon them over baked potatoes, or serve with crusty bread and steamed greens.

Allergen information

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

Slow Cooker Beef Shin, Mushroom and Ale Pie Filling

Instructions

Equipment needed

Swaps and substitutions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

My private notes

Slow Cooker Beef Shin, Mushroom and Ale Pie Filling

Equipment

Ingredients

Substitutions

Instructions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

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