Once You Go Green

BEEF AND GUINNESS PIE

Slow-cooking the beef in the traditional Irish drink helps the pie
develop a sweet deep roasted flavor of stout. You can cook the beef
In advance to allow the flavor to permeate. For this pie I use a
traditional shortcrust pastry, but you could use a puff pastry as an
alternative.

 
INGREDIENTS

750g/ 1.6# lean braising/ stewing steak
4 tbsp plain – all purpose flour
Freshly ground salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato purée
500ml/ 2 cups Guinness
350g/ 12oz shallots peeled
Few sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup beef broth
500g/ 1 block short crust pastry
1 free-range egg yolk mixed with
1 tbsp water

METHOD

Dice the beef into 2.5cm/ 1 inch cubes. Place the flour in a medium-
sized bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Roll the beef in the
flour to coat. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the beef until golden
brown in colour. Add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute, stirring
well. Then pour in the Guinness and add the shallot, thyme, bay leaf
and garlic.  If you beef is not fully submerged, top up with beef
broth/stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1½ -2
hours, until the beef is tender and falls apart with a fork.  When the
beef is at this point, remove the bay leaf and discard.
Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/ 390F. Transfer the meat to a 20cm/ 8
inch pie dish 5-7cm/ 2-3 inches deep. Roll out the pastry and cover the
pie. Scrunch the pastry to the edge of the dish and trim around the
edge, leaving 1-2cm/ 0.5 inch overhanging. Brush the top with the egg
and season. Transfer to a baking tray and place in the oven. Bake for
15-20 minutes and serve immediately, along side some vegetables and
mash potato.