Mrs. Mann was my mother's brother's wife's mother. She grew up in Glasgow, Scotland and years later lived in Massachusetts. I only have a faint memory of Mrs. Mann from my early childhood. I know we used to visit her sometimes. I'm not sure why we didn't call her Aunty or Grandma. I remember being instructed to call her Mrs. Mann so that's what I did. I didn't learn of this recipe until about 10 years ago. My mother started making it, and like her potatoes au gratin, it became food we would fight over. I finally asked her where she got the recipe and she said, "Oh, this is Mrs. Mann's Steak & Sausage Pie recipe."
Rediscovered Family Recipes Hold A Special Place in My Heart
There is a faded, crinkly piece of paper that my mom found with a bunch of old recipes. It was Mrs. Mann's Steak & Sausage Pie. We still have the piece of paper which is wearing out and certainly seen better days. But I love thinking about how old that piece of paper is. I love seeing Mrs. Mann's handwriting and thinking of what was going on in her mind as she wrote down the recipe. I love wondering, how did we end up in possession of it? My mom can't remember except to say she must've asked Mrs. Mann for it during one of our visits and she wrote it down for us.
When my mom makes it, she always makes two. One for me and one for my sister. My mom doesn't have two baking dishes the same size, so I always sway her to give the bigger one to me. It's a fun family gag and we always get a laugh out of it. I love food that has this kind of effect on the family. There's a buzz, an energy when it gets made. We fight over it, lovingly, but we fight over it.
The Steak & Sausage Pie Recipe that Traveled from Glasgow to Massachusetts
As I started thinking about this recipe for my website, I wondered if there was a story behind it. Mrs. Mann was from Glasgow, Scotland and spoke with an accent. Was this an old Scottish family recipe? Was it only made on special occasions? Did my aunt and her siblings fight over it like we do?
I called my aunt and asked her to tell me anything she could remember about her mom's steak & sausage pie. Turns out, it was my aunt's grandmother who passed the recipe to her daughter, Mrs. Mann. This is a precious Scottish recipe that has been passed down through the generations. It was, as I suspected, a special occasion pie. Steak was expensive and most average families couldn't afford it on a regular basis. It was a treat for my aunt and her siblings. The pie was prepared on holidays, birthdays, or when the kids would beg for it to be made.
Passing down family recipes is such an important way to honor family cultures and traditions. It's one of the ways we celebrate and remember how special food can be. I love food with a story behind it and I especially love old family recipes that get passed down through generations. This steak & sausage pie is a true gourmet. It only has a few ingredients and packs a punch of incredible flavor. I highly recommend you give this one a try.
Mrs. Mann's Steak & Sausage Pie
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 portions 1x
Description
An old family recipe from my aunt’s mother - who grew up in Glasgow, Scotland - Mrs. Mann’s Steak & Sausage Pie is a gourmet meal and a real treasure. It’s simply fantastic!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef back rump roast, cut in cubes (see note#1 for more options)
- 8 mild Italian sausage
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1-2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
- 2 Pillsbury already-made pie crusts (or homemade crust-see below)
- 1 egg
- Basmati rice (optional)
If you opt to make a homemade crust
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ sticks of butter, cold
- ½ cup of Crisco shortening
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar, plus 2 teaspoons
- ice cold water as needed (maybe 2-3 tablespoons)
The slurry
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup water
NOTE: YOU WILL NEED A 9x13 BAKING DISH
Prep time above is if you are using the store-bought dough. If you make the homemade crust it will take longer.
Instructions
- Don’t forget to watch my video with all the step-by-step instructions.
- Prep to consider before this whole process starts: 1. Put your Italian sausage in the freezer for an hour or two so it’s easier to cut them into pieces. They won’t be frozen yet, but it makes cutting through the sausage casing a little easier. 2. I like to eat this pie over basmati rice which may seem weird. If you opt for basmati, plan your time and cook your rice according to the package instructions.)
- Trim any fat hanging off the beef rump roast. Cut the large piece of meat in half, then into thick strips, then into bite-sized pieces. Whichever meat you buy for this the goal is to cut it in bite-sized cubes.
- Transfer meat to a bowl, add the flour and toss until all the meat is lightly coated.
- Heat canola oil on medium-to-high heat. Add the meat to the pan separating any pieces that might be sticking together.
- Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side. We want a nice sear on each side.
- Once the meat is seared, add water to the pot or pan you are using. Add JUST ENOUGH TO COVER THE MEAT.
- Add one beef bouillon cube and turn the heat to high to bring to a boil. Stir everything while bringing to a boil. Once it boils, turn heat to low – COVER THE PAN (NO VENT HOLES IN LID) – and simmer for 40 minutes.
- Cut the Italian sausage into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Finely dice the onion.
- Once the meat is fully simmered, add the chopped sausage and onion and mix everything together. Bring to a boil again on high heat. Then put the lid back on the pan/pot, turn heat to low and let simmer another 45 minutes.
- Make the slurry by combining flour and water together and whisking until well blended.
- Get the store-bought dough ready (see note#2). Lay the two crusts out so they overlap slightly. Hold your baking dish over the crust to make sure it’s big enough to cover the whole pie. Roll the dough to press the crease down and adhere the two pieces together. (video shows this well).
- When the meat mixture is ready, add the slurry and butter and mix until well combined. You should taste the gravy here. I found that the one bouillon is enough saltiness. If you think it needs more salt add a little here to your desired taste. Remove from heat and let it sit for a few minutes to thicken. (see note#3 if it’s not thick enough)
- Pour the whole mixture into the baking dish and spread out the meat so it’s distributed evenly.
- Lay the store-bought crust on top of the pie, then fold over the edges. Brush with an egg wash (one beaten egg with a splash of water), cut a few vent holes then bake in a PRE-HEATED OVEN at 400 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. Long enough to brown the crust. Ovens vary so keep your eye on it. You can also brush milk on the top instead of the egg wash - your choice.
- IF YOU OPT FOR A HOMEMADE CRUST, DO THIS: Mix all dough ingredients together, EXCEPT THE WATER, with a pastry cutter or your hands. Work the mixture until it becomes crumbly. Once it’s crumbly, add about 2 tablespoons of ICE COLD water. One final mix with your hands and this will now be a ball of dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and stick in freezer for 15 minutes. Roll the dough ONTO THE PLASTIC you wrapped it in. Roll into an oval so it fits a 9x13 baking dish. Flip the dough onto the top of the pie. Folder the edges over – nothing fancy, don’t fuss too much. My video shows all this very well. Once the homemade crust is on top of the pie this will cook in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until crust is golden brown. Again, ovens vary so keep an eye on it.
- You can eat this on its own or serve it over basmati rice which is what I do.
Equipment
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Calphalon Saute Pan with Lid (5QT)
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Notes
- I made this recipe with “Certified Angus Beef – Back Rump Roast.” I usually make it with London broil steak and have also used bottom round beef. Any of these options work great! The store almost never has all three of these options - so whichever they have when I’m shopping is the one I buy. These are cheaper cuts of meat. You don't need to use expensive steak (sirloin, filet mignon, etc).
- I always make it with store-bought, pre-made pie crust. I typically use the Pillsbury brand and they are sold 2 crusts to a box which is what we need. If your store has another brand or store brand version that’s fine too.
- If for some reason it’s not as thick as shown in the video – mix another slurry and add it to the meat mixture with another small chunk of butter and stir again.
- A note about the salt. I found that adding the one beef bouillon cube is enough. Remember, there is salt in the Italian sausage too. Between the two I don’t think any more is needed. Make sure you taste the gravy after the slurry is added to see if it’s salted enough for your preference.
- This is make-ahead friendly. You can make the mixture the day before if you'd like and store in a container in the refrigerator. The next take take it out of fridge, let it get close to room temperature, then assemble and bake!
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