There are few things more reassuring than the promise of a proper steak bake fresh from the oven, with its golden pastry and rich, slow-cooked filling. These Guinness and beef steak bakes lean into that tradition, pairing tender beef with the deep, malty warmth of Guinness for a filling that’s dark, savoury and wonderfully comforting. It’s the sort of dish that you think about for days after the event and pairs beautifully with a St. Patrick’s Day pint.
As with any good pie filling, seasoning is what brings everything together. A generous crack of black pepper adds to the richness of the beef, while the stout adds its own subtle bitterness and depth. Topping with various seeds not only looks amazing but adds that certain something that sets these apart from your high street bakery steak bakes.
Wrapped in crisp pastry and baked until bronzed and bubbling, these steak bakes are hearty, satisfying and very indulgent - proof that with good ingredients and thoughtful seasoning, simple comfort food can be made to feel just a little bit special.
Ingredients:
- 1kg beef brisket
- 2 big onions, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic
- A small bunch of rosemary and thyme, tied up with a string
- 440ml Guinness
- 250ml beef stock
- 1 heaped tbsp flour
- 2x 500g blocks of puff pastry
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1tsp each of sesame seeds, black sesame seeds and fennel seeds, optional
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 150 °C.
- Begin by dicing the beef into 1-inch cubes and placing it in a bowl with a touch of oil and lots of salt and pepper.
- Next, set an ovenproof casserole dish over medium-high heat with a couple of tbsp of vegetable oil. Fry the beef in batches until deeply browned all over, then set aside.
- Once the beef is browned, add the onions to the pan, season with salt and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the onions for 20 minutes, stirring as you go, until caramelised, then add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
- Return the beef to the pan along with the flour and cook out for a couple of minutes. Pour over the Guinness and the beef stock and bring to a boil. Throw in the herbs and place on the lid.
- Place the casserole dish in the oven and cook for 4 hours. Halfway through cooking, place the lid ajar slightly to allow the stew to reduce.
- Once the stew is cooked, break up the meat with a potato masher or allow it to cool and break up with your hands. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Allow the stew to completely cool before moving on to the next step.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
- To make the pies, roll out the puff pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin and cut out as many 12cm circles as you need for the number of pies you want to make (you will need a top and bottom for each pie).
- Add 2 tbsps of pie filling to the bottom of the pastry, leaving a 1cm border. Egg wash the border, then place the pastry lid on top. Crimp the edges, then place on a parchment-lined baking tray.
Repeat for all the pies.
- Egg wash the pies, then top with seed mix and a touch of salt.
- Bake the pies for 35 minutes until golden brown and piping hot throughout.
