Beef and Stout Pie

November 13, 2013

In her Seasonal Cooking column in our Fall 13 issue, writer Amy Maltzan tells the lovely and funny story behind the matrimonial politics involved in the annual cooking of this savory pie. Pick up an issue to get the whole deal and then give this recipe a shot. It’s a crowd pleaser, no doubt about it.

Beef and Stout Pie

Jamie Oliver

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Course Dinner, Main Course

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 red onions medium, chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery chopped
4 ounces mushrooms sliced
3 sprigs rosemary fresh leaves picked and chopped
2 pounds stew beef or brisket cut into 1 inch cubes
12 ounces stout or other dark beer
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour heaping tablespoons
5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
1 pound all-butter puff pastry ready-made
1 egg large, beaten
salt as needed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
In a large ovenproof pan, heat olive oil over low heat, then add onions and cook gently until softened, about 10 minutes.
Turn heat up to medium; add garlic, carrots, celery, mushrooms, rosemary, beef, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook for another minute or so.
Add stout and just enough water to cover. Bring to simmer, cover pan with lid and place in oven for 2.5 hours, stirring halfway through.
Meat should be very tender and stew should be rich and dark. If the mix has a lot of liquid, place pot over medium-high heat and cook until liquid thickens further.
Remove from heat, stir in half the cheese, adjust seasoning as needed and cool slightly.
Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll the pastry out evenly to ¼-inch thickness.
Transfer stew into ovenproof casserole dish, sprinkle remaining cheese over, and place pastry over top of dish.
Gently slash a crisscross pattern into top with a sharp knife. Brush with egg and bake for 45 minutes, until pastry is puffed and golden.

Notes

Use your favorite dark beer for this pie; there are some great local options like Butternuts Beer and Ale’s Moo Thunder Stout and Wagner Valley’s Oatmeal Stout.

Keyword beef, pie, stout