Description
Hearty Guinness braised beef pot pie delivers rich Irish comfort on a plate. Flaky pastry and tender meat create a satisfying meal for winter dinners you’ll savor with delight.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lb (907 g) beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled & chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 ½ cups Guinness stout beer
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps flour (for coating beef)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Flaky sea salt & black pepper, for topping
Instructions
- Protein Preparation: Coat beef chunks with seasoned flour, ensuring even coverage for optimal flavor infusion and caramelization.
- Searing Stage: Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until shimmering. Brown beef pieces in batches, creating a rich, caramelized exterior that seals in juices and develops deep flavor complexity.
- Aromatic Base: Sauté onions, carrots, and celery until softened, then introduce minced garlic to build a robust flavor foundation. Deglaze the pot with Guinness, scraping up intensely flavored browned bits.
- Liquid Composition: Combine beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf to create a deeply aromatic braising liquid. Immerse the seared beef, ensuring complete coverage.
- Tenderizing Process: Simmer the mixture on low heat, allowing the meat to slowly break down and become incredibly tender. The prolonged cooking melds flavors and transforms tough meat into luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth morsels.
- Filling Refinement: Stir in green peas and a generous pat of butter. Remove bay leaf and allow flavors to meld and intensify. Transfer the hearty mixture to a pie dish.
- Pastry Crowning: Drape puff pastry over the filling, trimming edges for a precise presentation. Brush with egg wash to create a lustrous, golden-brown finish. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and cracked pepper.
- Baking Finale: Preheat oven and bake until pastry rises into a magnificent, bronzed crown with crisp, layered edges. Let the pie rest briefly before serving alongside creamy mashed potatoes or a chilled Guinness.
Notes
- Choose Marbled Beef: Select chuck roast or short ribs with visible fat marbling for maximum tenderness and rich flavor depth.
- Master Flour Coating: Pat beef completely dry before flouring to ensure perfect caramelization and prevent steaming instead of browning.
- Control Searing Temperature: Use medium-high heat when browning meat, avoiding burning while achieving deep golden-brown crust that develops complex flavor profiles.
- Layer Flavor Strategically: Brown meat in batches to prevent overcrowding, which reduces temperature and prevents proper caramelization of protein surfaces.
- Balance Braising Liquid: Adjust Guinness and broth ratio to control sauce thickness and prevent overly bitter or watery consistency.
- Optimize Herb Infusion: Crush dried herbs between fingers before adding to release more intense aromatic compounds and enhance overall taste complexity.
- Rest Pastry Wisely: Allow pie to cool 10-15 minutes after baking, enabling filling to set and preventing scalding hot liquid from breaking delicate pastry structure.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Irish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg