Beef & Guinness Pie — Proper Comfort Food, No Fuss

Guinness stout

🥗Healthier: non-alcoholic stout

💰Cheaper: dark beer

Non-alcoholic stout maintains flavor without alcohol.

beef chuck

🥗Healthier: lean ground beef

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Ground beef is lower in fat, while pork shoulder is often less expensive.

Season 750 g of diced beef chunks with salt, pepper, olive oil, and a bit of flour.

Heat a big pot on medium to high heat and add a splash of oil.

Sear the beef in batches until browned and a crust forms, then set aside.

Add a knob of butter to the same pot, then add 2 diced onions, 2 carrots, and 2 sticks of celery, all chopped finely.

Sweat the vegetables on medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and slightly golden.

Add 5 cloves of garlic and 2 tbsp of tomato puree to the pot.

Add Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, 2 bay leaves, and 1 full can of Guinness.

Scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pot and let the Guinness cook off for a few minutes.

Pour in around 300 ml of beef stock and let it simmer gently for at least 2 hours.

Check the beef for tenderness; if it isn't falling apart, simmer longer or add a cornstarch slurry or gravy granules to thicken.

Lay out short crust pastry in a baking dish and let the beef filling cool slightly before adding it.

Taste the filling and adjust salt and pepper as needed before spooning it into the pastry.

Top the filling with pastry, crimp the edges, make slits for steam to escape, and brush with egg wash.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and puffed up.

Peel, wash, and cut Maris Piper potatoes, then boil in heavily salted cold water starting from cold.

Once fork tender, let the potatoes steam off for 10 minutes.

Mash the potatoes using a potato ricer or masher, or with a fork if necessary.

Add knobs of butter, a splash of milk or cream, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Optionally, add finely diced onion and parsley for freshness before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens