Steak and Guinness Pie...it's not just for St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day...stick with tradition, or start a new one?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Today, I will celebrate this "holiday" with a Reuben (an American addition to the Irish Menu) at one of my favorite restaurants.  Sublime Smoke in Bolivar, Ohio.  If you ever get a chance, you need to try Zach's Reuben.  He makes the best in the area.  You will not be disappointed.

For today's blog I am making one of my favorites...a Steak and Guinness Pie.  Essentially, it's like a beef potpie on steroids.  You can make this dish with any cut of beef that you like.  It is really a Beef and Guinness Pie but since I used a large ribeye steak, it's a Steak and Guinness Pie here in my household.

Fair warning, this is a recipe that takes quite a bit of time to prepare.  Do not start it if you don't have 3 or 4 hours to spare. 

Ingredients

• Pie Dough (I use pre-made)
• 8 ounces of baby bella mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds of steak, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 onions chopped (I use one large yellow onion and one large red onion)
• 3 large carrots chopped
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar (light or dark doesn't matter)
• 4 tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 1 11.2 ounce bottle of Guinness
• 2 tablespoons of beef (Better Than Bouillon) or two beef bouillon cubes
• 1 1/2 cups of beef broth
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1 pay leaf
• 1 tablespoon of dried parsley
• 4 strips of thick cut bacon
• 2 tablespoons of butter for greasing the pie pan or use cooking spray
• 1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash for the top crust
• Coarse sea salt for the topping

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Season the meat with salt and pepper
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heatproof pot (preferably a Dutch Oven) over medium-high heat and sear the meat until browned all over.  You'll probably need to do this in batches.  Set aside.
4. At this point, discard the excess liquid (fat) in the pot.
5. Over medium heat, in the same pot, add the onions and carrots, adding a bit more oil, then sauté until starting to get soft, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Add in the brown sugar and flour, stirring to coat and make a roux, about 5 minutes.
7. Add the meat, and any collected juices, back into the pot and mix with a spoon.
8. Warm the beef broth (either in the microwave or on the stove).  Add the Better than Bouillon into the broth and stir to dissolve.
9. Add the Guinness, stock, balsamic and a bit more water to the pot.
10. Add the thyme and parsley into the pot.  Add a bay leaf or two if you like.
11. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
12. Cover and place in preheated over for 3 hours.
13. While the stew is cooking, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, until crisp.  Drain on a paper-towel lined plate.  Roughly chop and set aside.
14. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook until they have released their liquid and are starting to turn brown.  Set aside.
15. Once the stew is finished in the oven, stir in the bacon/mushroom mixture.
16. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.  Liberally grease your pie-pan with softened butter or cooking spray.
17. Line the pie dish with the dough.  Use scissors or a knife to trim away the excess dough.  The dough should reach the top of the dish.
18. Par bake the dough in the oven, using pie weights, or lining the bottom of the dough with parchment paper and adding dried beans.  Bake for about 12 minutes and then remove from oven and remove the wights or the beans and parchment paper.
19. Lower the oven temperature back to 325 degrees.
20. Add the beef mixture to the pie using a slotted spoon so that you don't get too much sauce in the pie.
21. Fill until the meat mixture is slightly higher than the rim of the dish.  You may have extra stew...that's ok, it is delicious by itself.
22. Roll out the remaining dough to the same thickness and cut a circle just big enough to cover the pie-pan.
23. Brush the edges of par-baked pastry with the egg wash, then cover with the dough for the top.
24. Crimp the edges of the dough together to seal them, then re-roll your trimmings and make decorations (four leaf clovers).
25. Use a sharp knife to cut two large slits in the top dough, then add the decorations if you are using them, and then brush the top generously with the egg wash. (Note: I used a puff pastry dough for the top of my pie).
26. Sprinkle the coarse sea salt and black pepper over the top.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes until top is golden.
27. Remove from oven and enjoy.

 Drink Pairings:

This dish has many options for a drink accompaniment.  You can always go with a green beer from your favorite brewery, but I recommend a Guinness or a Conway's Irish Ale from Great Lakes Brewing.  If you happen to be lucky enough to be in NE Ohio, almost every brewery has a "special beer" on tap for this holiday.

If you want wine with your meal, I recommend a full-bodied red such as Dreaming Tree Merlot.

If you want a cocktail, I recommend a Dublin 12 Old Fashioned.  To make this cocktail, you need 2 ounces of Proper No. Twelve Whiskey, 1 barspoon of simple syrup, 2 dashes of angostura bitters, 2 dashes of orange bitters.

In a lowball glass, add whiskey, simple syrup and bitters.  Add ice to the glass and stir together.  Garnish with a lemon wedge and a cherry.