Guinness Pie

Guinness Pie

Serves 6-8

1 T olive oil

1.5-2 lbs. beef stew meat or chuck roast cut into 1-2” chunks

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2-3 ribs celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 strips bacon, diced

2 T tomato paste

½ t ground oregano

¼ t ground thyme

2 cans (15 oz each) Guinness stout

1.5 cups beef stock

1 T A1 steak sauce

1 T soy sauce

2 t Worcestershire sauce

1 T Dijon mustard

1/3 cup AP flour

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh herbs for garnish (if desired)

Add the oil to a Dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat. Add the beef (work in two batches to prevent overcrowding the pot) and brown on all sides. Once browned, remove from pot and add bacon. Turn heat to medium and render the fat from the bacon. Once bacon is mostly cooked leave it in the pot and add in the tomato paste and stir it around in the hot fat. Cook it out for 2 minutes.

Add carrot, onion, celery, garlic, thyme and oregano. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Cook and sweat out the veggies for 5-7 minutes or until they are beginning to soften.

Add the flour and stir to incorporate the raw flour into the fat and cooking liquids. Return heat to medium high heat and add the Guinness, beef stock, A1, mustard, soy sauce and Worcestershire.

Return beef to the pot. Stir well and scrape up all fond off the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and taste and season with salt and pepper. Season lightly as we will be reducing the liquid by at leas half and it will intensify in flavor.

Cover the pot, leaving a small gap in the lid so some moisture can escape. Turn the pot down to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or until beef is tender and liquid has reduced to your desired consistency. It should be like a very thick stew.

In the meantime, beat the eggs in a bowl with a splash of water to create a loose egg wash. Also, defrost your puff pastry on the counter for an hour or so. Roll the pastry out gently to even the creases and edges by hand or with a rolling pin.

When ready to build your pie, spoon the filling into a 9x9 or similar sized baking dish and cover with the puff pastry. Cut a few slits into the pastry for steam to escape and brush entire pastry thoroughly with egg wash. Optionally you can crimp the edges of the pastry around the baking dish if you want it to be more decorative or adhered to the dish.

Bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes or until puff pastry is deeply golden brown. Let cool for at least 15 minutes and then serve garnished with fresh herbs.