Description
This Epic Chunky Beef and Mushroom Pie is a hearty, slow-cooked dish featuring tender chuck beef, a rich dark ale gravy infused with dried porcini mushrooms, and topped with a golden puff pastry crust. Perfect for a comforting main course, this pie combines deep umami flavors with a flaky, buttery pastry for an ultimate satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Beef and Broth
- 20 g dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 1/4 cups boiled water
- 1 kg chuck beef, cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 1 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 3 carrots, halved lengthwise then cut into 1.5cm chunks
- 1/3 cup flour
- 300 ml dark ale (or substitute with red wine, Guinness, or more beef stock)
- 2 cups beef stock
- 3 sprigs thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Bacon and Mushrooms
- 200 g bacon, diced
- 300 - 400g Swiss brown mushrooms, larger ones halved
Pie Topping
- 1 - 2 sheets puff pastry
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Soak porcini: Place dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and add hot boiled water. Leave to soak for at least 30 minutes. Strain mushrooms and reserve the soaking liquid, then roughly chop the porcini mushrooms.
- Prepare beef: Sprinkle the chuck beef cubes with salt and pepper.
- Brown beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Add half the beef and brown all over, then remove the beef. Repeat with remaining beef. Set browned beef aside.
- Sauté vegetables: Lower heat to medium-low. If the pot looks dry, add more oil. Add onion and minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add finely chopped carrot and celery, cook for 6 minutes or until softened and sweet. Add carrot chunks and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add flour and liquids: Stir in the flour and cook briefly to remove raw taste. Slowly add dark ale and beef stock while stirring to dissolve the flour into a smooth mixture.
- Add herbs and mushrooms: Add thyme sprigs or dried thyme, bay leaves, chopped porcini mushrooms, reserved porcini soaking liquid (avoiding gritty sediment), and the browned beef back into the pot. Increase heat slightly, stir, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until beef is tender.
- Cook bacon and mushrooms: While the stew cooks, heat a skillet over high heat. Cook diced bacon until golden and crisp. Remove bacon, leaving drippings in the pan. Add Swiss brown mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until golden. Return bacon to the pan, toss to coat mushrooms, then stir the mixture through the stew.
- Simmer mushroom stew: Simmer the stew uncovered for 15 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and allow the stew to cool slightly.
- Preheat oven: Set the oven to 200C (390F).
- Assemble pie: Pour the cooled stew into a pie dish (approximately 24 x 20 x 4.5 cm). Even out the surface. Cover with puff pastry sheets, trimming and folding edges as needed. Brush the puff pastry top with beaten egg yolk and cut several slits to allow steam to escape.
- Bake pie: Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and the filling is piping hot in the center. Test doneness by inserting a knife in the middle.
- Rest and serve: Allow the pie to rest for 5 minutes before serving to let flavors settle and filling thicken slightly.
Notes
- Dried porcini mushrooms add a rich umami depth to the gravy, but the pie is still delicious without them; other dried mushrooms can be substituted.
- Choose slow-cooking beef cuts like chuck, gravy beef, or brisket for best tenderness; avoid lean cuts like bolar blade roast which can dry out.
- Slow cooker instructions: Use 2 crumbled beef stock cubes instead of beef stock. After step 7, transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Then add bacon and mushrooms and cook another 45 minutes. If needed, thicken sauce by simmering uncovered on stove.
- Pressure cooker option: Follow slow cooker prep and then pressure cook on high for 25 minutes.
- Pie dish size ideal: 24 x 20 x 4.5 cm (1.5L capacity), or around 20 cm square or 23 cm diameter deep dish works well; individual ramekins are excellent for leftovers.
- For best flavor, prepare filling a day ahead and refrigerate. Top with puff pastry just before baking. Both filling and assembled pie freeze well; always thaw thoroughly before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
