Everyone should have their own signature recipe, and this represents mine, a succulent combination of steak, vegetables and the wonder of Guinness, all baked into a delicious, crumbly pie. Test it on your friends, enemies or a even perfect stranger to see their eyes light up with pure unadulterated adoration, probably. So, without further wordy meanderings, let’s dice the beef and pour the stout, as we delve into the tasty realm of Steak and Guinness Pie.
Steak and Guinness Pie
Equipment
- 6 Pie Tins
Ingredients
Filling
- 1kg (2lb) Stewing Beef
- 50g (2tbsp) Plain Flour
- 8g (1tsp) Salt
- 2g (½tsp) Freshly ground Black Pepper
- 30g (2tbsp) Olive Oil
- 2 Bottles Guinness Foreign Extra
- 400g (14oz) Roughly Chopped Onions
- 40g (8 Cloves) Garlic, crushed and chopped
- 50g (2oz) Balsamic Vinegar
- 300g (10oz) Roughly Chopped Carrots
- 150g (5oz) Roughly Chopped Celery
- 150g (5oz) Roughly Chopped Leek
- 300g (1 stock pot) Chicken Stock (Beef is also fine)
- 6 Bay Leaves
- 4g (1tsp) Fresh Thyme
- 4g (1tsp) Fresh Rosemary
- 30g (1oz) Light Soy Sauce
- 40g (1½oz) Unsalted Butter
For the Pastry
- 450g (15oz) Plain Flour
- 230g (8oz) Cold, Unsalted Butter
- 2g (½tsp) Salt
- Ice Cold Water
- (50g) 1 Egg, Beaten
Instructions
The Filling
- Chop the beef into bite-sized cubes, season with 4g Salt and 2g Black Pepper, then rub in 50g of Plain Flour
- Heat 15g of Olive Oil in a large pan, and fry the beef in batches until browned off. Before transferring it to a large thick-bottomed cooking pot, along with one bottle of Guinness
- Using the same pan you used to brown the meat, heat the remaining15g of Olive Oil, and fry 400g of onions on a medium heat until translucent, then add 40g garlic and continue to cook for a further minute
- Add 60g of balsamic vinegar to caramelize the onion and garlic, and fry for around 3 minutes, then toss the whole thing in with the beef and Guinness
- Using the second bottle of Guinness, de-glaze the pan (Put it back on the heat and use the liquid to rescue all of the delicious flavours left behind after frying everything). Pour into the main cooking pot and discard the pan
- Put the meat, onions and Guinness filled pot on a medium heat, then add 150g leeks, 300g carrots and 150g celery, and cook for ten minutes
- Add 300g of chicken stock, stir, then pour in around a litre of water
- Next, drop in 20g of soy sauce along with 4g of fresh thyme, 2g of fresh rosemary and 6 bay leaves. Then simmer for 30 minutes
- Taste the glorious liquid, then add more salt/pepper/rosemary/thyme/ as required. Remember that the flavours will become stronger as the stew boils down
- Cover with a lid, and continue to simmer for however long the beef takes to soften, usually around 3-4 hours, adding more water if it begins to thicken
- When the meat has reached its melt-in-the-mouth phase, boil down the concoction so the sauce is nice and thick (too liquidy and it’ll soak into the pastry and make your pies collapse)
- Right at the very end, drop in 40g of Unsalted Butter, and stir until thoroughly absorbed
- Set aside and leave to cool (can be refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for a month)
For the Pastry
- Sift 450g of plain All Purpose Flour into a mixing bowl and add 2g of salt
- Grate in 230g of almost ice-cold butter
- Using the tips of your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until the result looks rather bread-crummy
- Slowly add ice-cold water until the mix comes together. Don’t force it, let it form into a ball of its own accord
- Cover the result in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least half an hour. This will also keep in a fridge for up to a week
The Pie
- Grease the pie tins with butter
- Take around 75g of pastry and carefully roll it out first time (overworking will ruin it)
- Press carefully into the pie tin
- Add a generous dollop of pie filling, approximately 230g
- Roll out a pie lid with roughly 30g of pastry
- Brush the lip of the pie with the beaten egg (pie glue)
- Stick the pie lid on top, make a couple of air holes to let out any, well air
- Brush the top with more egg
- Bake in an oven at 220 degrees Celsius (430°F, Fan 200°C, Gas Mark 7) until the lid is golden brown
- Remove from the oven and host a pie eating competition
Nutrition
Some notes to elevate your Steak and Guinness Pie
The Beef – I developed this recipe while living in rural China, where the cows are all recently slaughtered, and all cuts are called ‘niu rou’ (beef). The stuff comes tough as old boots, and has a great flavour, but it needs stewing for a good 6 hours to get soft. Chances are however, you’ll have better options than I did, so get hold of a good piece of chuck, skirt, or flank from your trusty butcher.
The Guinness – Budding pie-makers may be tempted to use the standard ‘Guinness Draught’ for this recipe, however, they would be making a grave error. Despite it being the hands down superior option for drinking, the draught just doesn’t quite cut it in the kitchen. For cooking purposes, Guinness Foreign Extra makes a perfect alternative with its stronger flavour profile and bitter edge that prevents it from becoming lost in a sea of meat and vegetables.
The Pastry – Pastry is a delicate beast, many folks will try and overwork it like a bread dough, or, cut corners by melting the butter first. However, none of these techniques cut the mustard when it comes to the crumbliest pastry in the land. In a nutshell, pie lovers should create a floury, buttery mix that resembles fine breadcrumbs, then glue the whole thing together with ice-cold water. The perfect pastry will result in a fragile casing that holds the pie together while cooking, but disintegrates joyfully at the mere introduction of teeth!
About Pie Tins
I found these in the local market, the thin stainless steel composition allows for it to heat up really fast. This in turn, will then allow for an even distribution in temperature, and result in a delightfully crumbly pie case. These ones measure around 13cm (5 inches) in diameter, and approximately 5cm (2 inches) deep, so, go root around and find something similar! If you’re all out of luck, something like these ones I found on Amazon will do the trick.
Just desserts
After indulging in one of the very best pies know to man, it’s to turn your attention to dessert. Therefore, why not try partnering a traditional Steak and Guinness pie with an equally traditional Apple and Blackberry Crumble!
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