Steak and Guinness Pie

This dish is inspired by Rick Stein’s Food Heroes but somewhat strays from the regional recipe.

You will need:

Filling:

800 grams rump steak, cubed (you can use chuck steak and cook it longer)
1 large onion, sliced thinly 
1 Teaspoon brown sugar

10 medium button mushrooms, sliced

1 whole can of Guinness beer 
2-3 table spoons flour

2 bay leaves

A few drops of Lee & Perrins Worcester Sauce

Beef stock powder, salt & pepper

Crust:

1 sheet of ready rolled puff pastry

1 egg, beaten with a bit of water

Oil and butter to fry

Add a bit of oil in a deep, thick pan or cast iron casserole on medium high heat. Put flour, salt & pepper in plastic bag and add cubed beef (half at a time), shake the bag until the meat is well coated. Shake off excess flour and fry the meat until brown on all sides and set aside in a bowl. Repeat with the rest of the meat.

Add a lit bit more oil and butter (about a thumb size) in the pan and add mushrooms and fry briefly to get rid of excess water and set aside with the beef. Add more oil and butter to the same pan and lower the heat. Fry onion until soft and sprinkle with brown sugar – fry until nicely brown. Add beef and mushroom back into the pan. Add a can of Guinness, Worcester sauce, beef stock powder, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Add bay leaves and lower the heat to simmer – cover the pan with lid and simmer for about an hour and a half or until the meat is soft (scrape the bottom from time to time so that it does not stick).

Lift the meat (and onion & mushrooms) to the pie dish and discard the bay leaves. Bring the cooking liquid to the boil until thickened (add more flour if too thin0, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Pour the thickened liquid over the meat and leave to cool and chill in the fridge for half an hour or so.

Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees C.

Cover pie dish with thawed pastry sheet - use a pie funnel to prop up the pastry and let the steam out. Crimp the edge and brush with egg. If you have enough time, chill the whole pie for half an hour before baking.

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with French fries.