Beef and Stout Pie
A rich, savory Beef and Stout Pie with mushrooms and onions. Wonderfully comforting traditional Irish food.
One cold, dreary day when I was browsing cookbooks and craving comfort food, I happened to read a piece about Irish beef and stout pie. It’s a nearly perfect combination of beef, mushrooms, onions, and Guinness – that wonderful Irish brew.
Dark and hearty on its own, the Guinness gives an incredible richness to the finished pie. Its flavor goes particularly well with the beef.
Don’t let the length of this recipe scare you away. Even though it has quite a few steps, it’s really a simple recipe.
To put it very simply, you make a beef stew, put it in a dish, top it with pastry, and bake it off. And you don’t have to stand and stir or watch a pot. Most of the cooking goes on unattended by the cook.
🔪 How to Make Beef and Stout Pie
Make the Beef Filling
This recipe calls for chuck steak and that’s what I used. A chuck roast would work just as well.
Start by cutting the chuck steak (or roast) into 1-inch pieces removing as much visible fat as possible. Then, in a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Toss the steak cubes with the flour mixture until each piece is thoroughly coated.
In a heavy skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the beef until it’s browned on all sides. Work in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan. Transfer the beef to a heavy Dutch oven as you work.
When all the beef has been browned, drain off and discard any excess oil in the pan. Add 1/4 cup of the beef broth or stock to deglaze the pan. Pour the deglazing liquid into the Dutch oven with the browned beef.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same skillet. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook 6-7 minutes or until light brown. Add the cooked onions and mushrooms to the Dutch oven with the beef.
👉 PRO TIP: You can use any dark ale or stout that you like in a Beef and Stout Pie. I just prefer Guinness. And, as I understand it, so do Irish cooks. They consider it the only stout suitable for cooking with beef. If you have access to Guinness, I highly recommend it in this pie.
Add the tomato paste, thyme, stout, and remaining beef broth or stock to the Dutch oven. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer gently with the lid slightly askew for 1 1/2 hours. At the end of the cooking time, test the mixture for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
Let the mixture sit until cooled.
Assemble and Bake the Pie
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
You can bake your pie in either one baking dish or individual dishes. Choose the dish(es) and cut a pastry topping a bit larger than the top of the dish. To do this, roll out the thawed puff pastry, turn the dish upside down on it, and cut around the dish leaving about a 1/4” margin all around.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat mixture from the liquid and put into the baking dish or dishes. Ladle in enough of the liquid to nearly cover the meat filling.
Dampen the rim of the baking dish(es) and top with the puff pastry. Press down gently so that the pastry sticks to the dish.
Place the prepared pie(s) on a baking sheet. Brush the top(s) with beaten egg yolk and slash the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape while baking.
Place the baking sheet with the prepared pie(s) in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit briefly to cool. Garnish with a fresh thyme sprig if desired.
Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
📖 Recipe
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Beef and Stout Pie
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck steak
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 tablespoons oil divided
- 1 ¼ cups beef stock or broth
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup stout recommended: Guinness
- 1 pound puff-pastry
- 1 egg yolk lightly beaten
Instructions
- Cut the chuck steak into 1-inch pieces removing as much visible fat as possible. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Toss the steak cubes with the flour mixture until each piece is thoroughly coated.
- In a heavy skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat. Cook the beef until browned on all sides. Work in batches and don’t over crowd the pan. Transfer the beef to a heavy Dutch oven as you work. When all the beef has been browned, drain off and discard any excess oil in the pan. Add 1/4 cup of the beef broth or stock to deglaze the pan. Pour the deglazing liquid into the Dutch oven with the browned beef.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same skillet. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook 6-7 minutes or until light brown. Add to the Dutch oven with the beef.
- Add the tomato paste, thyme, stout, and remaining beef broth or stock to the Dutch oven. Heat over medium high heat until the mixture comes to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently with the lid slightly askew for 1 1/2 hours. At the end of the cooking time, test the mixture for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
- Let the mixture sit until cooled.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- You can bake your pie in either one baking dish or individual dishes. Choose the dish(es) and cut a pastry topping a bit larger than the top of the dish. Roll out the thawed puff pastry, turn the dish upside down on it and cut around the dish leaving about a 1/4” margin all around.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat mixture from the liquid and put into either one baking dish or individual dishes. Ladle in enough of the liquid to nearly cover the meat filling. Dampen the rim of the baking dish(es) and top with the puff pastry. Press down gently so that the pastry sticks to the dish.
- Place the prepared pie(s) on a baking sheet. Brush the top(s) with beaten egg yolk and slash the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Place the baking sheet with the prepared pie(s) in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let sit briefly to cool. Garnish with a fresh thyme sprig if desired.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
so delish! Thanks for sharing!!
For the mini pie pans, I’d recommend ones that hold at least a cup, but no more than 2 cups to get a good beef to crust ratio.
Hi there
Would you add to the baking time if you were baking the final dish as one large dish – as opposed to several smaller ones? I am wondering if the temperature of the oven should be lowered if I bake it longer? I was worried about the puff pastry getting too brown.
Thanks!
At that point, all you’re doing is cooking the puff pastry since the filling is already done. When it’s nicely browned you can remove the dish, let it cool briefly and serve.
Lana that stew was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe. The best part was I was able to make the stew the day before and stick it in the fridge. I added the puff pastry and popped it in the oven just before dinner. It’s a super impressive-looking dish for a dinner party but without any fuss.
So glad you enjoyed it! And, yes, it is very easy to make.
What size individual ramekins or dishes are you showing? Can’t WAIT to try this!! Thanks!
Karen – those baking dishes are about 6″ by 4″. I used three that time. You can use any size you like, just cut the puff pastry to fit the ones you choose. I also make it in one large baking dish as well.
This recipe sounds delicious and perfect for a cold autumn/winter night. I made homemade chicken pot pit last week for someone who said they HATE chicken pot pit but he LOVED it. Can’t wait to try this one on him.
Is there anyway to cook this in a crock pot while I’m at work?
Betsy – you might be able to do the simmering of the filling in the slow cooker. You’d have to cook it up to the simmer stage first and then transfer it to the slow cooker. You’d then need to transfer the filling to a dish and put the puff pastry on to go in the oven. The puff pastry would just turn to goo in the slow cooker.
Another idea – you could make your beef and stout filling ahead of time, like on the weekend maybe, and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to finish the cooking, take it out and let it come to room temperature (about 30-45 minutes), then add the puff pastry and bake it.
Making the filling ahead of time works well. I have done it a few times. I do store the meat/veggie separately from the liquid in the refrigerator. I have also made with lean ground beef and shortened the braising time. Not totally the same slow-cooked flavor but it worked well for a busy evening.
My fiancé loves this dish no matter which method is used.
Oh man these pies look so good! Hearty and perfect for a cold winters night.
This looks so hearty and very delicious!
Thank you, Erika! It is both – hearty and delicious.
That is gorgeous! I can only imagine how wonderful your house smelled while this was cooking!
If you could smell Heaven, I’m sure it would smell something like this pie while it’s cooking :-)
This is one of my all time favorite dishes … and you are right… Guinness is the only stout to make it with!!! I generally make mine with a hot water crust but puff pastry would really take it over the top!!
We had this pie on a very cold Sunday afternoon and it was just so perfect. I almost can’t describe how perfect it is. And the puff pastry really is just right for it – light and crisp and flaky. I need to make this again asap.
These pies look marvelous! I love that they’re individual servings….I can put all the mushrooms in mine and keep the hubby happy. It’s just his kind of dish :)
You certainly could do that! Divide it up any way you like and keep everyone happy.
I am in love, and the length of the recipe is totally okay with me!!! Guinness is one of my favorite beers, this seriously sounds like a perfect comfort food!!! Hugs, Terra
Hi Terra! Even though it looks like a long recipe, it’s actually very simple. And the Guinness…it goes so perfectly with the beef. Hope you try this one – I think you’ll really enjoy it!
I love everything about this. I make a similar type dish but it’s covered with mashed potatoes; using puff pastry is a great (and easier I might add) idea!
I’m sure I’ve seen that recipe on your blog, Barb, and it sounds fantastic. The love the way the Guinness in this makes such a rich gravy. And the puff pastry topper is just perfect with that filling.