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Dish of the day: Beef and Guinness pie

Beef and Guinness pie

Makes one large pie or six individual pies

Ingredients
1 quantity Shortcrust Pastry (see recipe below)
1–3 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed (you will require more for individual pies)
1 large egg, lightly beaten, for glazing

Filling
40 g (1 1/2 oz) butter
2 onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 carrot, diced
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) beef shoulder (sinew trimmed and discarded),
cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) chunks
3 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 × 440 ml (15 fl oz) cans Guinness beer
1/2 cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) beef stock
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste (concentrated tomato purée)
1 sprig rosemary

Method
Melt the butter in a wide heavy based saucepan over low–medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook until softened. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Toss the beef in flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
Add a little of the oil to the saucepan and adjust the heat to high. Brown the beef in batches, adding additional oil each time. Return the softened vegetable mix to the pan and pour in the Guinness and beef stock. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and rosemary and stir to combine. Cover and gently simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and simmer for a further 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Transfer the beef stew into a bowl and set aside for 20 minutes, to cool slightly. .
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Meanwhile, cut the pie top/s out of the puff pastry, using the pie tins or dish to make the correct size. Lay the pastry flat on a tray and refrigerate until required.
Grease the pie dishes: six 1 cup individual tins or one 4 cm deep, 28 cm × 25 cm pie dish. Line the dishes with the shortcrust pastry.
Fill the pie base/s with filling, discarding the rosemary. Moisten the edges with water and cover with the puff pastry tops. Press around the edges with your thumb or a fork to seal. Cut a few slits in the pastry top/s, to allow the steam to escape. Brush with egg.
Place the pie/s on a baking tray and bake for 20–30 minutes, if individual pies, or 40 minutes for a large pie, or until the top is puffed and golden-brown.

Shortcrust Pastry

Ingredients
2 cups (300 g/10 1/2 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
150 g (5 oz) chilled butter, cubed, plus melted butter, for greasing

Method
Lightly grease six 1 cup (250 ml/8 1/2 fl oz) individual pie tins or one 4 cm (1 1/2 in) deep, 28 cm × 25 cm (11 in × 10 in) pie dish with melted butter. Refrigerate.
Lightly grease six 1 cup (250 ml/8 1/2 fl oz) individual pie tins or one 4 cm (1 1/2 in) deep, 28 cm × 25 cm (11 in × 10 in) pie dish with melted butter. Refrigerate.
Place the flour and butter in a food processor and pulse, until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Gradually add 1/3 cup (80 ml/3 fl oz) chilled water, pulsing to incorporate: the mix will look dry and crumbly. Turn onto a clean work surface, gently knead and shape into a disc. Do not overwork. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Alternatively, to make the dough by hand, rub the butter into the flour in a medium-sized bowl and mix in the water.
For individual pies, divide the pastry into six equal portions and roll each out between two sheets of baking paper, to about 3 mm ( 1/8 in) thick. For a large pie, roll out the entire pastry disc to a circle just larger than the pie dish. You should have a little pastry left over. Line the cold tins or dish with pastry and trim the excess. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Pastry can be made in advance and frozen until required. Bring back to room temperature before rolling.

Recipe courtesy of Cooked.com.au.

This recipe first appeared in Great Pub Food by Rachael Lane ($34.95).

Pub-food

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