Pub Style Steak and Guinness Pie with Fresh Veg

Steak and Guinness Pie is a prime example of classic British pub grub. It is a combination I first tried more than twenty years ago in a pub in Edinburgh, Scotland, called The Last Drop. Although I have eaten Steak and Guinness Pie many times since, in a number of different pubs, The Last Drop's version - made to this day from a secret recipe - remains unsurpassed. Like so many other examples of bar or pub food, however, it is not something that many people choose to prepare at home. This lunch dish is not difficult to make and the meat can even be prepared the night before, cooled and refrigerated to save time the next day.

Ingredients per Portion

6oz stewing steak or beef, cut to bite sized pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 pint fresh beef stock
1/2 pint Guinness
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 baby new potatoes or as required
4oz puff pastry
Flour for dusting
Beaten egg for glazing
1 medium carrot
2 tbsp frozen peas
1oz butter plus extra for greasing baking tray
6 fresh mint leaves, shredded

Directions

Put the vegetable oil in to a medium to large pot and gently heat. Add the beef and season, stirring around for a couple of minutes with a wooden spoon to brown and seal. Add the sliced onion and stir for a further minute.

Pour in the beef stock, followed by the Guinness. The order is important, otherwise the Guinness may froth up and boil over. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for one and a half hours, or until the beef is tender. If preparing the night before, allow to cool then refrigerate in a plastic dish. It will require only to be reheated the following lunch time.

Put the potatoes unpeeled in to a pot. Season with salt and add plenty cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for twenty-five to thirty minutes until soft.

Lightly flour a chopping board and rolling pin and roll out the pastry to be just slightly larger than your intended serving dish. Use the dish as a template to cut the pastry. Don't worry about cutting round the edges of the dish as the pastry will shrink slightly in the oven to fit snugly inside when cooked.

Grease a baking tray lightly with butter and lay on the pastry. Lightly wash with beaten egg. Bake in the oven, preheated to 400F/200C, for around twenty minutes until well risen and beautifully golden in colour.

The carrots will take about fifteen minutes. Top, tail, scrape and slice in to half inch discs. Add to a pot, season with salt and pour in boiling water. Put pot on heat and bring to a simmer. The peas should be added to the pot after around twelve minutes.

Drain the potatoes well and return to the pot. Add the butter and mint and gently stir to ensure even coating and flavour distribution.

Spoon the steak and Guinness gravy in to your serving dish and lay it on a plate. Arrange the potatoes and drained carrots and peas alongside. Remove the puff pastry from the oven and use a spatula to carefully sit it on top of the pie immediately before service.