STEAK, GUINNESS & CHEESE PIE
This Steak, Guinness & Cheese Pie, inspired by Jamie Oliver, is a hearty comfort food perfect for cold weather, featuring tender beef stewed in Guinness and topped with a layer of melted cheese, all encased in a homemade rough puff pastry. The recipe allows for adaptations to suit different tastes and dietary needs, making it a versatile dish that's been deemed the best pie ever by some.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium red onions, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
- 4 field mushrooms, peeled and sliced
- 35.2 oz quality brisket of beef or stewing beef, chuck steak is great, cut into 2cm cubes
- A few sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 14.8 fl oz Guinness
- 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
- 5.2 oz Cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 6 oz store-bought puff pastry (for pastry lid) or 17.6 oz for double-crust. Or try home-made
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). In a large ovenproof pan, heat olive oil on a low heat. Add the onions and fry gently for about 10 minutes, trying not to colour them too much.
- Turn the heat up, add the garlic, carrots and celery and scatter in the mushrooms. Mix everything together before stirring in the beef, rosemary, a pinch of salt and a level teaspoon of pepper. Fry for 3-4 minutes, then pour in the Guinness, stir in the flour and add just enough water to cover (I found I didn't actually need extra water). Bring to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and place in the preheated oven for about 1 ½ hours.
- Remove the pan from the oven and give a stew a stir. Put it back into the oven and continue to cook for another hour, or until the meat is very tender and the stew is rich, dark and thick. A perfect pie filling needs to be robust, so if it’s still quite liquidy, place the pan on the stove-top and reduce until the sauce thickens (you can always add a tablespoon of cornflour mixed with a little of the sauce to thicken it up if needed). Remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese, then season carefully and leave to cool.
- For pastry lid only: Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll the pastry out evenly with a floured rolling pin to about 3mm thick. Tip the stew into your dish and even it out before sprinkling over the remaining cheese. Place the rolled pastry over the top of the pie dish, crimping or folding the edge as you prefer. Criss-cross the top lightly with a sharp knife and brush over top with beaten egg.
- For double crust only: Dust a clean work surface with flour. Divide the pastry into two pieces, (two-thirds: one-third ratio) and roll both pieces out evenly with a floured rolling pin to about 3mm thick. Line the pie tin with the larger piece of pastry. Tip the stew into your dish and even it out before sprinkling over the remaining cheese. Brush beaten egg along the edges of the pastry, then place the smaller piece of pastry over the top and seal the two pastry edges together by crimping or folding as you prefer. Criss-cross the top lightly with a sharp knife and brush over top with beaten egg.
- Place the pie on a pizza stone or pre-heated oven tray and bake the pie for 45 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked, puffed and golden.
Nutrition
Calories: 717kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 44gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 347mgPotassium: 676mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3715IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 215mgIron: 4mg
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