Food pairing
Beer with steak and ale pie
A pub staple of slow-braised beef in gravy under pastry, rich and savoury with a soft, heavy finish.
Slow-braised beef in gravy under pastry. The fat is rendered into the sauce rather than sitting on a surface, so there is nothing for a crisp beer to cut through.
The beer is often literally in the gravy, and the same qualities that suited it there suit it beside the plate: malt depth to meet the braise, enough bitterness to stop the pastry coating the palate.
Steak and ale pie narrows the field sharply, and one answer stands clear of the rest. Most beer falls down on at least one thing this dish demands. The attribute doing most of the work is weight.
What to drink
Best bitter — classic pairing
The beer is often literally in the gravy. A best bitter has the malt depth to sit beside braised beef and enough bitterness to stop the pastry and fat coating the palate — and the shared caramel and toast between the two makes them read as one dish rather than two things.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
English porter — excellent pairing
Chocolate and light roast in the porter echo the browned meat and the pastry crust. A slightly heavier answer than bitter, which suits the pie in winter and can overwhelm it in summer.
American stout — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Bière de Garde — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
American brown ale — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Dubbel — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Czech dark lager — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Oud Bruin — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Alcohol-free stout — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.
- Alcohol-free pale lager — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.
- Pre-Prohibition lager — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.