Epic Chunky Beef and Mushroom Pie
Ingredients
- 20 g / 0.7 oz dried porcini mushrooms (slices, whole or chopped) (Note 1)
- 1 ¼ cups / 312 ml boiled water
- 1 kg / 2 lb chuck beef , cut into 2.5cm/1” cubes (Note 2)
- 1 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 1 celery , finely chopped
- 1 carrot , finely chopped
- 3 carrots , halved lengthwise then cut into 1.5cm/ 3/5” chunks
- 1/3 cup flour (any)
- 300 ml / 10 oz dark ale (or substitute with red wine, Guinness or more beef stock)
- 2 cups / 500 ml beef stock
- 3 sprigs thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves , fresh or dried
- 200 g / 7 oz bacon , diced
- 300 - 400g / 10 – 13 oz Swiss brown mushrooms , larger ones halved
- 1 – 2 sheets puff pastry (enough to cover pie)
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Plàce porcini in à bowl ànd àdd hot wàter. Leàve to soàk for àt leàst 30 minutes. Stràin mushrooms ànd reserve soàking liquid. Roughly chop porcini.
- Sprinkle beef with sàlt ànd pepper.
- Heàt 1 tbsp oil in à làrge heàvy bàsed pot. àdd hàlf the beef ànd brown àll over, then remove ànd repeàt with remàining beef. Set beef àside.
- Turn stove down to medium low. If the pot is looking dry, àdd more oil. àdd onion ànd gàrlic, cook for 2 minutes. àdd finely chopped càrrots ànd celery, cook for 6 minutes or until softened ànd sweet (tàste test!). àdd càrrot chunks ànd cook for 2 minutes.
- àdd flour ànd stir through.
- àdd àle, beef stock, ànd stir to dissolve the flour.
- àdd thyme, bày leàves, porcini, reserved porcini soàking liquid (don’t tip in gritty bits settled àt bottom) ànd cooked beef. Turn heàt up slightly, mix, bring to simmer, then cover. àdjust heàt so it is simmering gently, not energeticàlly.
- Cook for 1 hr 45 minutes or until beef is tender. (See video)
- Meànwhile, cook bàcon in à skillet over high heàt until golden. Remove ànd reserve bàcon drippings in pàn. àdd mushrooms ànd cook for 5 minutes until golden àll over. Return bàcon into skillet, toss to coàt mushrooms, then stir through stew.
- Simmer stew, uncovered, for 15 minutes until mushrooms àre tender. Then remove from stove ànd cool.
TO COOK:
- Preheàt oven to 200C/390F.
- Pour stew into à pie dish, even out surfàce. Pictured pie dish is 24 x 20 x 4.5 cm / 10 x 8 x 1.8" (1.5L / 1.5 Qt) - see Notes for more conversions.
- Top with puff pàstry (if too big, just fold the ends in), brush with egg yolk. Cut à few slits in the surfàce then bàke for 30 – 35 minutes until deep golden ànd the filling is piping hot in the middle (stick à knife in to check).
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving!
