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Old 01-05-2014, 12:24
Andy Birkenhead
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I want to make Steak and Ale pie.
What "ale" is best to use ?
What gives the best / most flavour ?
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Old 01-05-2014, 12:53
JulesF
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Stout is good for adding a nice rich colour, but can be a bit bitter for some palates. You might be better off with a sweeter, paler ale. It doesn't make an awful lot of difference though - just go for one you like to drink!
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Old 01-05-2014, 13:25
Andy Birkenhead
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Stout is good for adding a nice rich colour, but can be a bit bitter for some palates. You might be better off with a sweeter, paler ale. It doesn't make an awful lot of difference though - just go for one you like to drink!
So, a can of Special Brew or Stella Artois then ?
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Old 01-05-2014, 13:31
Toby LaRhone
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So, a can of Special Brew or Stella Artois then ?
Why not "tool up" and just use Scotch?
And I don't mean the beef.
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Old 01-05-2014, 14:06
jojo01
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I made a steak and ale pie last year using ESB (a Fuller's beer). We'd had a steak and ESB pie at a Fuller's pub and I decided I wanted to recreate it!

OP, you can also use HSB which some of their pubs use in their pies.
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Old 01-05-2014, 19:24
degsyhufc
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Goto one of the big supermarkets and get 3 bottles of ale for £5 then taste and choose the best.
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Old 02-05-2014, 08:44
indianwells
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I made one last week and used Spitfire Ale. It gave an excellent balance to the pie. I find Guinness a bit too rich. I also cooked the filling for 3 hours so the meat was fall apart tender.
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Old 02-05-2014, 12:13
LostFool
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I made one last week and used Spitfire Ale. It gave an excellent balance to the pie. I find Guinness a bit too rich. I also cooked the filling for 3 hours so the meat was fall apart tender.
I would say that Spitfire is too good to be cooking with. Use that for drinking and something else for the pie.
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Old 02-05-2014, 13:11
walterwhite
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I would say that Spitfire is too good to be cooking with. Use that for drinking and something else for the pie.
Spitfire is normally one of the cheaper ales knocking about in Sainsburys so wouldn't be a bad choice.
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Old 02-05-2014, 14:32
indianwells
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I would say that Spitfire is too good to be cooking with. Use that for drinking and something else for the pie.
Possibly but I tend do do the same when using wine in a dish. If it's just a cheap plonk that I wouldn't drink on its own why would I put it in my food?

And Walter is right, it was on special at £1.50 in my local Londis. Anyway only half of it went in, the rest went down my throat!
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Old 02-05-2014, 15:03
Kiko H Fan
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I would say that Spitfire is too good to be cooking with. Use that for drinking and something else for the pie.
If it's not good for drinking then it's not good for cooking with either.

Don't be taken in by the 'only cheap booze is used for cooking' lark.
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Old 02-05-2014, 15:39
Mr Absinthe
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Although not a big ale drinker myself, my OH's hobgoblin does make a rather excellent steak and ale pie. Kinggoblin is a little better, but often hard to find.
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Old 02-05-2014, 16:00
Toby LaRhone
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Goto one of the big supermarkets and get 3 bottles of ale for £5 then taste and choose the best.
And don't forget to pick up a nice pie to go with the three pints

Most recipes simply suggest "strong/brown/ dark" ale or stout.
As has been said, I'd use a good beer that I like drinking.
After the cooking process I doubt you could actually differentiate between two or three ales anyway.
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Old 02-05-2014, 17:29
NX-74205
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I made a steak, mushroom and ale pudding last week. I used Hobgoblin and it was damn tasty.
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Old 03-05-2014, 08:20
walterwhite
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If it's not good for drinking then it's not good for cooking with either.

Don't be taken in by the 'only cheap booze is used for cooking' lark.
I always use the cheapest red I can get for coq au vin and it tastes fine to me.
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Old 03-05-2014, 14:41
Toby LaRhone
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I always use the cheapest red I can get for coq au vin and it tastes fine to me.
You lush
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Old 03-05-2014, 17:08
Welsh-lad
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I use Felinfoel Double Dragon ale, which is from my local brewery, and readily available,
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Old 03-05-2014, 17:13
Welsh-lad
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I would say that Spitfire is too good to be cooking with. Use that for drinking and something else for the pie.
Bad plonk will taste as bad in food as it does in a glass.

The old mantra "It's good enough for cooking" doesn't hold up really.
I wouldn't use bad wine or bad chocolate in cooking either.
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Old 03-05-2014, 17:50
chopsim
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I've used Mackeson stout before. Its a slightly sweeter taste so it goes nice with the beef.
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Old 03-05-2014, 20:49
Toby LaRhone
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I use Felinfoel Double Dragon ale, which is from my local brewery, and readily available,
You have your location as Mid Wales?
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Old 03-05-2014, 23:20
Welsh-lad
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You have your location as Mid Wales?
Yes. So?
I'm from Carmarthenshire originally.

Do I pass your geography test?
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Old 04-05-2014, 01:17
Toby LaRhone
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Yes. So?
I'm from Carmarthenshire originally.

Do I pass your geography test?
Whoa, calm down.
Llanelli is a long way from Mid Wales and you described it as your local brewery.
I was just curious.
No need to be offended.
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Old 04-05-2014, 03:08
Welsh-lad
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Whoa, calm down.
Llanelli is a long way from Mid Wales and you described it as your local brewery.
.
Ha - sorry yes I did shoot off there!

Technically Llanelli is only about 22 miles away from mid Wales though.
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Old 04-05-2014, 09:31
walterwhite
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Bad plonk will taste as bad in food as it does in a glass.

The old mantra "It's good enough for cooking" doesn't hold up really.
I wouldn't use bad wine or bad chocolate in cooking either.
Not in my experience it doesn't. Coq Au Vin is a peasant dish remember, i doubt they were using fine wines in it.
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Old 04-05-2014, 14:02
indianwells
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Not in my experience it doesn't. Coq Au Vin is a peasant dish remember, i doubt they were using fine wines in it.
Well not having had Coq Au Vin cooked for me by a French peasant I wouldn't know, however, if the they could have afforded to use a decent wine I'm sure they would have, and it would (probably) have been all the better for it.
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