Delicious Homemade Steak and Guinness Pie Recipe from Dublin

Summary

Introduction
Ingredients
Process
Final Thoughts

I have been experiencing a profound desire for pies lately. While this may not be an unfamiliar sentiment (as pies are always on my mind!), an opportunity arose near my local supermarket, prompting a spontaneous decision to initiate the pie-making process today.

I enjoy various types of pies; however, I must admit to a particular aversion towards pies containing mushrooms. Their taste tends to be reminiscent of earth, a flavor I find unappealing. Nevertheless, returning to the matter at hand, I appreciate most pies, and today, I felt an inclination towards preparing a steak and ale pie. Thus, I proceeded to my local supermarket to gather the necessary ingredients for my culinary endeavor.

INGREDIENTS:

Vegetable oil
450g braising steaks
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, sliced into discs
500ml Original Guinness
4 beef Oxo cubes
Flour or thickening granules
Thyme, paprika, turmeric, and any additional seasonings as desired
375g ready-to-roll puff pastry
Potatoes

To be fair, I already possessed the oil and onions at home. However, I inadvertently purchased an additional set of stock cubes. This has occurred multiple times, leading to an overabundance of stock cubes in my cupboard, leaving me pondering what to do with them. Perhaps a stock cube giveaway is in order, or I might embark on a steak pie baking spree.

PROCESS:

Dice the beef, carrots, and onions.
Additionally, cut the potatoes into chips (or large wedges).

It would have been more appropriate to utilize a knife for cutting the beef into cubes; however, using scissors proved to be a much simpler approach. Surprisingly, I also ended up using a butter knife to cut the carrots. The reason behind this choice eludes me.

Boil the beef until it reaches a pleasing brown color, which should not take long – approximately 5 minutes should suffice. Season with a touch of salt and various spices.

Add the stock cubes, spices, carrots, and onions, and if you’re feeling adventurous, include any additional vegetables you wish. Allow this to cook for around 7 minutes.

Next, introduce the hallowed ingredient, Guinness. Allow it to simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, initiate the preparation of the chips by boiling the chopped potatoes for approximately 5 minutes. This method aids in achieving a crispier texture and expedites the cooking process. Be cautious not to overcook them, as the aim is merely to parboil.

Subsequently, add a modest amount of oil, along with salt and seasonings.

Cover the pan with a lid and gently shake it to distribute the oil evenly over the chips, combined with the salt and seasonings. This approach minimizes oil usage while ensuring crispy chips, which boast many fewer calories compared to “oven chips” or “chip-shop chips.” Additionally, they are far more economical and tastier, being freshly prepared and seasoned precisely to your liking.

Arrange your chips on a baking tray and place them into the oven for 25 minutes at gas mark 200°C.

Next, check on the pie filling. It should be thickening now. If it has not reached your desired consistency, add some thickening granules or flour to achieve the preferred thickness.

Now that your pie filling has achieved the desired consistency, retrieve your puff pastry and roll it out from the tube.

Transfer your filling into a pie dish. Lacking a pie dish myself (as I broke the previous one and haven’t yet replaced it), I utilized a Pyrex dish, which served the purpose adequately.
Shape the pastry according to the dimensions of your dish and drape it over the lid of the Pyrex dish.

Place your pie into the oven for 25 minutes at gas mark 200°C, and voila, you have a delightful Steak and Guinness pie!

A confession: I intended to brush the pie with egg or milk prior to baking for a glaze but forgot before placing it in the oven. Since this primarily alters the appearance rather than the flavor, I chose not to worry about it. Nevertheless, remember to apply the glaze before baking.

If timing is executed wisely, the chips and pie should emerge from the oven simultaneously, yielding a satisfying and piping hot dinner.