Steak Pie | The Modern Proper (2024)

FAQs

Why do we eat steak pie at New Year? ›

Another tradition that comes from the Scots is a Steak Pie on New Year's Day. No one really knows where this tradition came from, but for years it was steadfast for New Year's day and it sure is a hearty hangover cure.

The history of the pie has its roots in ancient Egypt and Greece. The ancient Greeks ate pie (artocreas), though it was of the savory type with meat in an open pastry shell. The Romans may have been the first to create a pie that included a top and bottom crust.

Sprinkle dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, or other types of cereal, on the bottom crust before filling and baking in the oven.

A steak pie is a traditional meat pie served in Britain. It is made from stewing steak and beef gravy, enclosed in a pastry shell. Sometimes mixed vegetables are included in the filling. The dish is often served with "chunky chips" (thickly sliced potatoes fried, sometimes in beef dripping).

Lobster, cows, and chicken are all considered unlucky animals to eat on New Year's because of how they move. Read on for more foods superstitious people try to avoid on the holiday.

According to Southern lore, you will have good luck for the entire year if you have the traditional New Year's Day supper. In the South, that means a meal of collard greens, hoppin' John, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and pot likker soup.

Getting a brown, flaky/crispy bottom crust on your pie is all about quick and effective heat transfer. That's why aluminum or aluminum/steel pans — rather than glass or stoneware — are your best choice for baking pie. Metal, especially aluminum, transfers heat quickly and efficiently from oven to pie crust.

To ensure that a steak pie doesn't turn into a stew, a well-chosen binding agent is crucial. At Mud Foods we use various methods but at home a combination of flour, tomato paste and other ingredients works wonders in thickening the gravy, giving the filling a hearty consistency that holds together beautifully.

Often, blind-baking solves this problem. If you're making a single crust custard-filled pie, like a pumpkin pie, bake the pie dough first before adding filling to allow some of the moisture in the crust to evaporate. You can also totally blind-bake fruit pies.

Pies were not popular in the United States until the 1800s, and today most pies in the United States are meatless and sweet, except for pot pie. In Canada, on the other hand, both English and French meat pie traditions have persisted, notably the iconic tourtière of French Canada.

Who invented the steak pie? ›

Historians believe that the Greeks actually originated pie pastry. The pies during this period were made by a flour-water paste wrapped around meat; this served to cook the meat and seal in the juices.

In the Midwest and certain parts of Pennsylvania, pork and sauerkraut are common New Year dishes. The fact that pigs root forward (as opposed to chickens, which scratch backward) is considered to be symbolic of making progress in the future. Long strands of sauerkraut are considered to symbolize a long life.

Avoid Winged Fowl

If you don't want your luck to fly away in the new year, it's best to avoid any animal that has wings and scratches in the dirt, like turkey or chicken. These birds scratch backward, which can imply dwelling in the past or—even worse—the need to scrape by for your living.

But in the American South on one day of the year, cabbage is served with something else: black-eyed peas. The culinary pairing is eaten for good luck and health in the coming year.