Guinness again: Guinness Beef Pie

It's Guinness again! Although this time around, it's a savoury pie and not a cake. You must be thinking that I really like Guinness but the opposite is true. I don't like the taste of Guinness as a drink, but somehow it adds a different taste when added to food.

I don't make pies often as I find them quite tedious. You have to make the filling and then the crust and assemble the pie.  I have been wanting to make my own pies since I visited Pies and Coffee about 2 weeks ago. They really have amazing pies there, some with very local flavours like Laksa Seafood.

I have always wondered how Guinness Beef Pie tasted like so have decided to try making my own after searching through several recipes online. I made the filling as a sort of soup/stew the day before for dinner and made the pie the next day for lunch. I have also opted to use ready-made pastry as they save time.

Guinness Beef Pie

800g Beef chuck (diced)
1 large white Onion (diced)
3 medium carrots (diced)
1 can plum tomatoes
250ml Guinness
5-6 bay leaves
salt
black pepper
Olive oil
Ready-made puffy pastry sheets
1 egg for egg wash

1) Using some olive oil and a non-stick pan, brown the diced beef chuck. Set aside
2) Using the same pan, stir fry the white onion till soft and fragrant. Add carrots and bay leaves.
3) Return the browned beef and add the plum tomatoes and Guinness.
4) Once it comes to a boil, lower the fire and let it simmer for 2 hours (or use a thermal pot like I did) till the beef is tender.
5) Add salt and black pepper to taste. (This would be your beef soup/stew, can be served with bread and salad)
6) Add some cornflour to thicken the soup/stew
7) Ladle some beef stew into ramekins and cut the puffy pastry to slighter larger than remekins. Cover the ramkeins with the puff pastry (do not defrost your puff pastry sheets before use)

8) Brush some beaten egg on the puff pastry.

9) Pre-heat your oven at 180 deg C.
10) Bake the pies for 30 mins till the pastry has turned golden brown.

You can make this pies in advance and freeze them before baking. Just pop them into the oven and serve.
I have a few pies now in my freezer for my guests on Wednesday.

Updated 18 November: Heated up 2 frozen pies at 200 deg C for 30 mins and enjoyed hot beef pies on a wet rainy day!