Cumberland Pie
Celery, carrots and worcestershire sauce come together in this British beef — 75 minutes, 8 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 8 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and pan. At medium difficulty across 8 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Soften the celery, onion, carrots, bay and 1 thyme sprig in a casserole with 1 tbsp oil and the butter for 10 mins. Stir in the flour, followed by the purée, Worcestershire sauce and stock cubes.
- Gradually stir in 600ml hot water, then tip in the beef and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hrs 30 mins, then uncover and cook for 30 mins -1 hr more until the meat is really tender and sauce thickened.
- Meanwhile, cook potatoes in a pan of boiling water until they’re not done but about ¾ of the way there.
- Transfer meat to a baking dish.
- Slice spuds into 1cm thick rounds and gently toss with seasoning, the remaining oil and thyme leaves.
- Layer on the beef, scattering with the cheese as you layer.
- You can cover and chill the pie now for 1 day, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Increase oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 30-40 mins until golden and crispy, and sauce bubbling if the dish went in cold. Serve with peas.
You'll use: Oven · Pan · Large pot · Saucepan · Baking dish
Watch how it's made
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Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Parmesan
- pecorino · grana padano · aged asiago
What to serve with Cumberland Pie
- Bakewell tart Dessert
- Apple Frangipan Tart Dessert
- Smoky Lentil Chili with Squash Vegetarian
- Christmas Pudding Flapjack Dessert
Tips & common questions
How long does Cumberland Pie take to make?
About 75 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 8 steps and 15 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Recipe data for Cumberland Pie via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.