Slow Cooker Beef & Guinness Pie

Ingredients

• 800 g beef steak or rump (Chopped; alternatively use 1 kg brisket.)
• 440 ml Guinness (1 can.)
• 200 ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf (Discard after slow cooking.)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (Optional.)
• 2 carrots (Roughly chopped.)
• 1 red onion (Chopped.)
• 1 celery stick (Chopped.)
• 1.5 tbsp cornflour or gravy powder (1–2 heaped tablespoons, as needed.)
• 3 garlic cloves (Crushed.)
• 1 sheet ready-rolled shortcrust pastry (Use the slow-cooker lid to measure and cut the pastry.)
• 1 egg (Beaten, for glazing the pastry.)
• salt (To taste.)
• black pepper (To taste.)

Steps

1. 1

   Add the chopped beef, Guinness, beef stock, tomato purée, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried oregano, bay leaf, brown sugar if using, chopped carrots, red onion, celery, cornflour or gravy powder, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker.

2. 2

   Cook on the high setting for 4 hours, or on the low setting for 7–8 hours, until the beef is tender and the filling is ready.

3. 3

   Discard the bay leaf from the cooked beef filling.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 200°C.

5. 5

   Use the slow-cooker lid to measure the pastry, cutting a round large enough to cover the filling. Place the pastry over the beef filling and tuck it around the edge of the pie.

6. 6

   Brush the pastry with the beaten egg to create an egg wash.

7. 7

   If the slow-cooker pot is oven-safe, place it in the oven without its lid and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp.

8. 8

   If the slow-cooker pot is not oven-safe, transfer the filling to an ovenproof pot, cover it with the pastry, brush the pastry with the beaten egg, and bake at 200°C for about 20–25 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Notes

The transcript mentions that Guinness or wine may be replaced with chopped tomatoes, but no quantity for the tomatoes is provided. The source does not specify the exact amount of cornflour or gravy powder beyond 1–2 heaped tablespoons, or whether the listed vegetables are optional; use them as listed and adjust thickener within the stated range.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pie
• slow-cooked
• British
• beef
• comfort food
• Christmas
• winter