Beef and Ale Puff Pastry Pie

Rich gravy and meltingly tender beef in this winter warmer pie! 

Preheat oven 170 or 160 fan

Ingredients
500g ready made puff pastry
3 tbsp sunflower oil
200g streaky bacon lardons
2 medium ontions chopped finely
2 garlic cloves chopped
850g Braising beef steak
500ml bottle ale
500ml beef stock
1 tbsp tomato puree
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp cornflour blended with 2 tbsp cold water
250g small chestnut mushrooms quartered
pinch flakes sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

A beaten egg

Method

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Fry bacon and onion until pale golden. Add garlic for a minute or two. Using slotted spoon transfer to a casserole dish.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in frying pan and fry meat in 2 or 3 batches turning with tongs. so really brown and crusted on each side. Transfer to casserole dish.

Deglaze frying pan with half the ale. Bring to a boil and stir pan thoroughly to remove all the sediment. Pour over beef in casserole dish.

Add remaining ale, stock, tomato puree and herbs to casserole dish. Bring to a boil then cover and cook in oven for 2 hours or until meat tender. 

Remove casserole from oven and stir in the cornflour paste. Heat gently on hob to thicken stirring occasionally. 

Sason to taste. Remove bay leaves and let cool.

Turn oven up to 200 or 180 fan. 

Fry mushrooms in the frying pan for about 5 mins then add to the meat. Spoon everything into a pie dish (or lasagne dish). 

Roll out the puff pastry. Cut some strops a little wider than the dish.

Brush rim of dish with egg and fix the strips.Brush with more egg and place pastry lid over the fillng, trimming excess. Use excess for patterns on top if wished. 

Brush top with egg.

Place on baking sheet in oven and bake for 30-35 mins until puffed and golden brown. 

Serve with mash or baked pots and veg.

Enjoy!

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