Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1 kg beef chuck, cut into 2.5 cm chunks
- 4 leeks, washed very well and sliced
- 2 stalks celery, finely sliced
- 2 carrots, finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup flour
- 300ml lager
- 2 cups / 500ml beef stock
- Handful fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 500g thickly sliced button or portabellini mushrooms
- 1 – 2 sheets puff pastry (enough to cover pie)
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil
Method:
- Season beef with salt and pepper.
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a large heavy-based pot. Add the beef and brown all over. Cook in batches to avoid the beef sweating. Set aside.
- Turn heat down to medium and add a fresh drizzle of olive oil. Add leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook until softened and sweet.
- Add flour and stir through coating all the vegetables.
- Add beer, beef stock, thyme, and bay leaves and stir to mix well.
- Bring to simmer and then cover.
- Reduce heat to low and allow to cook for 2 hours until the beef if tender.
- Remove the lid and allow the sauce to reduce until thickened.
- Add mushrooms and mix them in to evenly distribute.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Preheat oven to 200˚C.
- Pour pie filling into a pie/ baking dish. (Roughly 25 x 20 x 4.5 cm)
- Top with puff pastry. Cut out a few steam holes. Brush with egg wash and bake for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden brown and cooked through.
