Beef & Guinness Pie
We had steak in the freezer and thought of using it in a pie. After we first had to make a trip to the liquor store to buy Guinness (the one ingredient we didn’t have), we were ready to prepare a feast.
Should you want to make this pie, make sure you have enough time on hand because it needs to be in the oven for at least 1½ hours – a weekend is therefore a good time to prepare a Beef & Guinness Pie.
Put it on the table:
The ingredients are simple and the recipe easy to follow. And don’t go to the trouble of preparing your own pastry – the shop’s puff pastry is just as good.
Ingredients for Beef & Guinness Pie
750g steak, cut in cubes
1 white and 1 red onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped (*)
500ml Guinness
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar (*)
¾ cup beef stock
2 tablespoons plain flour (*)
1 teaspoon thyme
salt & pepper, to taste
olive oil, to fry
2 packets of puff pastry
(*) Berto decided to add these ingredients while cooking. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the chef when it comes to taking the photos!
Heat the oil in a saucepan (or ‘potjie’ as we did). Brown the beef and remove from heat once done.
Brown the beef and put aside
Add the onions to the ‘potjie’, cook for a few minutes and then add the chopped carrots and garlic.
Add the onions, carrots and garlic
Sprinkle in the sugar, herbs, salt & pepper, flour, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock. Stir it around to soak up the juices and then gradually add in the Guinness. Bring to the boil and remove from the stove top.
Add sugar, herbs, salt & pepper, flour, Worcestershire sauce and stock and stir
Add the Guinness
Bring to the boil and remove from stove top
Place one sheet of puff pastry in a greased baking dish and pour in the meat. Place the other sheet of puff pastry on top and roughly fold the edges together. (Remember to cut a hole in the middle of the pastry lid to allow steam to escape).
Use the puff pastry to prepare the dish for the oven
Bake the pie in a preheated oven of 160°/325°F for about 1½ hours.
Fresh from the oven
Yummy Beef & Guinness Pie
There are few things as delicious as creamy mash and peas with this pie. All you have to do now is to enjoy your meal … and maybe get a second helping.
A hearty meal
Wet and Dusty Roads 
I have to admit that I’ll have a steak about once a year, and this looks like the perfect way to enjoy one. The Guinness must give a rich flavor. Looks fabulous Corna!
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You’re right Tricia, the Guinness does indeed give a rich flavour to this dish … I don’t like Guinness, but it compliments the steak 100%.
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Oh, this looks yummy. I could eat that right now and the pie looks large enough to share.
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You’re right, there was more than enough – even after the second helpings.
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I’ll pull up a chair then. 😊
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Ha, you’re welcome 😊.
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Seems like it was worth the wait in the oven. The puff pastry looks perfectly baked. Yum!
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My grandmother believed that when food is cooked slowly, the flavours come out best. And she wasn’t wrong 🙂. Of course, these days one doesn’t always have the time due to hectic schedules, but every now and then, it’s worth it to make a pie like this. And it’s a bonus that you don’t have to make the pastry yourself – the shop’s puff pastry, as you mentioned, came out perfect.
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Long ago, before I turned “veg”, a good meat pie like that was one of my favourite things. I used to love having a “pub lunch” which came just like yours with peas and mashed. Your recipe sounds perfect and your photographs make it easy to follow. One more for that book!
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“Pub lunches” are not something that we find often here in South Africa – well, not the traditional ones as you know them anyway. But in Cape Town there are a few Irish pubs and their lunches also look like this one in our post. So, if you don’t have one nearby, you have to make your own, right?
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I’m right with Jude on this sharing business. Can we both come? I’m not big on steak but in a well cooked pie, you’ve got me!
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You’re more than welcome Jo. I’ll even make a delicious pudding … or what about a slice of cake? It’s a really great pie – my mum doesn’t like steak either, but she loves this pie, so I think it’s a winner.
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Me too xx
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Very tasty Corna. We love a steak and ale pie but I’ve never attempted to bake my own. Always forget about frozen pastry making life much easier. I must buy some and get started now winter is approaching. My husband enjoys a Guinness so there is usually a can or two in the drinks cupboard so no excuses to get going!
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Well, there you go Marion. No excuse then to bake your own pie … just get the pastry from the store and one of your husband’s Guinness 🙂. I don’t think it’s possible to make a flop of this – that’s how easy it is. If I squint my eyes, I can see our summer on the horizon … I have to admit, I can’t wait.
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Now that is perfect comfort food that I would love to eat, especially as it’s cold, windy and rainy here now
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It’s definitely comfort food … and especially nice on a weekend, because then you can relax on the couch after lunch. Oh, I can’t wait for our summer. I probably can’t complain about our winter – it’s not nearly as cold as yours, but I’m now ready for warm sunny days.
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I loved watching the evolution of this pie come together through your step by step photos.
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It’s always nice to see the ingredients on the table turn into a tasty dish in just an hour or so, isn’t it? And even more so when it’s a delicious Beef & Guinness Pie!
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My favourite way of consuming Guinness is in a beef pie. Looks absolutely delicious, Corna!
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I don’t drink beer (I’m more of a cider girl) and Berto doesn’t like Guinness, but in this pie it was the best! We still have two bottles left … so I reckon we’re going to have to make this pie two more times. No complaints this side though!
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Hierdie een gaan ek ook probeer, Corna, dit lyk heerlik.
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Jy sien mos hoe maklik dit is. Jy het net bietjie tyd nodig, maar terwyl die pastei in die oond is, kan jy gou ‘n draaitjie gaan swem 🙂!
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💪💃🤗
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Oh my goodness Corna, everything about this recipe says YUMMY!
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Absolutely Diane … yumminess with each bite until the very last crumb.
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Ummm…one of my favourites and your recipe looks super simple! We’re going into summer so I’ll have to wait for winter. 😉
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Store-bought pastry is definitely the way to go with this recipe – maybe it’s cheating, but it’s a lot less hassle (but at the same time, just as delicious). I agree, it’s definitely a winter dish … and seeing that I’ve actually had enough of winter now, I don’t mind “storing” this dish for the next few months 😉.
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