Thinking that I might make some variant of steak pie soon so what are peoples favourite variants (steak n ale, steak n kidney etc…) and favourite recipes?

kidney & mushroom half’n’half. Guinness as a variant on ale (but not out of a can, the bottled “original” stout).

Keep it simple – less is more.

steak’n’ale
no help, but nothing comes close to my local butcher, so I haven’t even tried for years

Ah good. I’ll be no help either then. Go here:

http://tomsmanchester.thevictorianchophousecompany.com/

… when you’re really really really really hungry. Order the steak pudding. Consume all of it, if you can. Then sit there and weep into your beer, in the knowledge that you have already lived the greatest culinary experience of your life

Steak, Guinness and cheese pie

I was dubious about the inclusion of the cheese, but I can vouch that it is ace!

My ex used to make a nice one. Lay out your pastry bottom over the bottom of your pie tin and cover with a layer of raw chuck steak diced quite fine, cover with plenty of salt and pepper and then dice some kidneys to a pulp and cover the steak, again plenty of salt and pepper, put a puff pastry lid on and bake for an hour or so at about 180.

Its quite a thin pie, about an inch deep of filling altogether, very nice though, the kidneys melt through the steak, mmm.

see if you can google nigella lawson’s steak and kidney pudding recipe. uses guiness and oyster sauce for flavouring. works just as well in a pie as in a pudding.

These all sound lovely, may have to make this pie sooner than I thought!