Corned Beef and Potato Pie Proper Comfort Food

Corned beef and potato pie, these individual shortcrust pastry pies get a generous shake of Worcestershire sauce and taste of my childhood!

Whether you use store-bought pastry or make my beef dripping shortcrust pastry is up to you, but these hearty pies as pure food nostalgia.

British Bully Beef Pie!

We Brits are far more than roast beef and chippy chips, and battered fish!

Pies, and in particular savoury pies, are just one part of the rich and colourful food tapestry of the UK.

Everything from the Cornish pasty from the 13th Century, or its more modern brethren cheese and onion pasty, Scotch pie from the 16th Century, to rabbit pie, ham stuffed fidget pie and steak and stilton pie are just a few of our pastry-wrapped treats.

This corned beef and potato pie features an ingredient that many a foodie would turn their nose up at.

Tinned corned beef or bully beef is finely minced beef salted and pressed in gelatine.

It dates back to the 18th century and was one of my favourite things to have on a sandwich growing up. Obviously not in the 18th century, of course!

My Mom would also use it to make corned beef hash, corned beef fritters, corned beef sandwiches, corned beef pasta bake and corned beef stew, all of which filled me with joy as a kid.

In a nod to that dish, these bully beef pies also contain a liberal sprinkling of Worcestershire sauce.

If you are looking to explore more foodie nostalgia, then you must check out my spam fritters, spam sandwich, gammon, egg and chips, panacalty, minced beef and onion pie and savoury minced beef recipes!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there are alternative to Corned Beef?

Nope... I'm afraid you are gonna have to order online if you are in a territory that does not have corned beef. There really is no substitute.

Can I make this pie in advance?

Yes and no. You could prepare the pie in advance and refrigerate it. However, in my experience, that leads to the dreaded "soggy bottom" of the pie.

If I wanted to reduce the load, I would make the filling in advance and refrigerate; you can do this up to 2 or 3 days ahead of time.

Then I would make the pastry separately, or use store-bought pastry. Then build the pie just before cooking.

I do have a corned beef pasty recipe that can be made 2-3 days in advance.

Is making my own pastry worth it?

Only you can tell me the answer to that question. I like making my own shortcrust pastry; a food processor makes it quick and pretty easy.

The flavour that the beef dripping adds to the pastry is simply stunning.

What is beef dripping?

It is the fat rendered from a cow in the same way that lard is pig fat and duck fat is... erm... from a duck. It is delicious and makes the very best chips!

Serving Suggestions

For me, this corned beef and potato pie should be served with baked beans.

Now you could, of course, get all involved and make your own baked beans, but this dish is all about nostalgia for me, and that calls for a tin of beans!

My wife disagrees and insists on peas and loads of tomato ketchup, but they are equally easy to knock up.

If I were adding peas, then they would be mushy peas, and there would be ketchup!

These individual pies are on the greedy guts size, but fear not, because leftovers are awesome for breakfast.

I serve it cold with a fried egg and more beans, although the ubiquitous ketchup is also an option.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section of the recipe.

• Oven.
• Hob/stovetop.
• 20cm or 8" saucepan.
• 2 X 10cm or 4" pie tins.
• 30cm or 12" frying pan.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Potato peeler.
• Pastry brush.
• Rolling pin.
• Stirring spoons.
• Colander
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.

If you are making your own pastry, you will also need:

• Food processor, you can mix by hand in a mixing bowl, too.
• Cling film.