Ingredients
For the filling:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 900g rump steak, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 large white onions, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 50g tomato purée
- 300ml beef stock
- 500ml stout (e.g., Guinness)
- 150g mushrooms, sliced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the topping:
- 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
- 1 egg yolk, for glazing
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C.
- Sear the beef – heat a large ovenproof casserole over high heat. Season the beef and sear in batches until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the veg – add onions, garlic, celery, and carrots to the same pot. Sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Thicken the base – stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze – pour in the beef stock, scraping up any bits from the bottom.
- Build the sauce – add the stout, tomato purée, bay leaves, thyme, and mushrooms. Return the beef to the pot.
- Slow cook – cover and transfer to the oven for 2½ hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Check & prep – taste for seasoning, then remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
- Add the pastry – increase oven temperature to 200°C. Roll the puff pastry over the top of the casserole dish, pressing around the edges to seal.
- Glaze & bake – brush with egg yolk and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
- Serve & enjoy – let it rest for a few minutes before digging in.
